Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher (Melaenornis chocolatinus)
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Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher

Melaenornis chocolatinus (Rüppell, 1840)

15–16 cmLength23 gWeight

The Abyssinian slaty flycatcher (Melaenornis chocolatinus), also known as Abyssinian flycatcher, Abyssinian black flycatcher or Abyssinian chocolate flycatcher, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae, the Old World flycatchers.

Busiest months: November–December · Most records: Ethiopia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher has been recorded at 19 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Addis Ababa – Ghion HotelEthiopia253 records
  2. Bale Mts – Dinsho Park HQEthiopia191 records
  3. Wondo GenetEthiopia180 records
More places
  1. Debre Libanos MonasteryEthiopia114 records
  2. Debre Libanos – Lodge and Portuguese BridgeEthiopia85 records
  3. Sululta PlainEthiopia13 records
  4. Lake AwassaEthiopia6 records
  5. Lake Awassa – United Africa Shebelle Hotel areaEthiopia6 records
  6. Melka GhebduEthiopia4 records
  7. Abidjatta-Shalla NPEthiopia4 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Ethiopia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Abyssinian slaty flycatcher (Melaenornis chocolatinus), also known as Abyssinian flycatcher, Abyssinian black flycatcher or Abyssinian chocolate flycatcher, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae, the Old World flycatchers. It is often placed in the genus Dioptrornis. It is native to Africa, where it occurs in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher?

The Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher is about 15–16 cm long and weighs around 23 g.

Where does the Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher live?

Its breeding range: Africa: montane Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is most often recorded in Ethiopia.

When is the best time to see the Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher as Least Concern.

What does the Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher in?

It belongs to the family Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
15–16 cm
Weight
23 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
83 mm
Tail
73 mm
Bill
15 mm
Tarsus
19 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: montane Eritrea and Ethiopia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Chats, Old World Flycatchers Muscicapidae
Genus
Melaenornis

Other birds in the genus Melaenornis

Angola Slaty FlycatcherAngola Slaty FlycatcherMelaenornis brunneusWhite-eyed Slaty FlycatcherWhite-eyed Slaty FlycatcherMelaenornis fischeriNimba FlycatcherNimba FlycatcherMelaenornis annamarulaeYellow-eyed Black FlycatcherYellow-eyed Black FlycatcherMelaenornis ardesiacusNorthern Black FlycatcherNorthern Black FlycatcherMelaenornis edolioidesSouthern Black FlycatcherSouthern Black FlycatcherMelaenornis pammelainaWhite-tailed AletheWhite-tailed AletheAlethe diademataFire-crested AletheFire-crested AletheAlethe castaneaKaroo Scrub RobinKaroo Scrub RobinTychaedon coryphoeusBrown Scrub RobinBrown Scrub RobinTychaedon signata
Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Andrey Mikhaylov. ↗

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