Photo: Alan Manson / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Southern Black Flycatcher
Melaenornis pammelaina
Southern Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis pammelaina) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Southern Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis pammelaina) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 30.2 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 Melaenornis
- Species pammelaina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 30.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Southern Black Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Southern Black Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Southern Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis pammelaina) is a member of the Muscicapidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e, s.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 30.2 g, with a wing length of about 10.8 cm and a tail of around 9.4 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 4.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Southern Black Flycatcher?
The Southern Black Flycatcher is a small bird that weighs around 30.2 g.
Where does the Southern Black Flycatcher live?
The Southern Black Flycatcher is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, s, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Southern Black Flycatcher belong to?
The Southern Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis pammelaina) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Southern Black Flycatcher eat?
The Southern Black Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Southern Black Flycatcher migrate?
The Southern Black Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Southern Black Flycatcher 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 Southern Black Flycatcher make?
1 real field recording of the Southern Black Flycatcher — 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 Southern Black Flycatcher's range?
The Southern Black Flycatcher has a mapped global range of about 4.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.