Photo: Shelley, 1903 / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Sharpe’s Akalat
Sheppardia sharpei
Sharpe's Akalat (Sheppardia sharpei) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Sharpe’s Akalat (Sheppardia sharpei) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 14.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Sheppardia
- Species sharpei
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Sharpe’s Akalat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Sharpe’s Akalat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Sharpe’s Akalat (Sheppardia sharpei) is a member of the Muscicapidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Tanzania and Malawi.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.7 g, with a wing length of about 6.6 cm and a tail of around 5.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 93,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Sharpe’s Akalat?
The Sharpe’s Akalat is a very small bird that weighs around 14.7 g.
Where does the Sharpe’s Akalat live?
The Sharpe’s Akalat is found across Africa with a range covering AF Tanzania and Malawi, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Sharpe’s Akalat belong to?
The Sharpe’s Akalat (Sheppardia sharpei) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Sharpe’s Akalat eat?
The Sharpe’s Akalat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Sharpe’s Akalat migrate?
The Sharpe’s Akalat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Sharpe’s Akalat endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Sharpe’s Akalat make?
1 real field recording of the Sharpe’s Akalat — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Sharpe’s Akalat's range?
The Sharpe’s Akalat has a mapped global range of about 93,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Guides for this bird
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A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.