African Blue Flycatcher (Elminia longicauda)
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African Blue Flycatcher

Elminia longicauda (Swainson, 1838)

15–18 cmLength9.9 gWeight

The African blue flycatcher or blue-crested flycatcher (Elminia longicauda) is a species of bird in the family Stenostiridae found in parts of West, Central and East Africa.

Busiest months: February–March, July and November–December · Most records: Uganda, Kenya, Ghana

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

African Blue Flycatcher has been recorded at 91 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 15 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Kakamega Forest NR – Rondo Retreat CentreKenya719 records
  2. Bigodi SwampUganda475 records
  3. Kakamega Forest NRKenya458 records
More places
  1. Chimpanzee Forest LodgeUganda281 records
  2. Kibale NPUganda272 records
  3. Bigodi Ecotourism Research CentreUganda198 records
  4. Kakamega Forest NR – Ikuywa RiverKenya180 records
  5. Mabamba SwampUganda134 records
  6. NabukosiUganda129 records
  7. Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest NP – Entrance RoadUganda124 records

Countries and regions with the most records

UgandaKenyaGhanaCameroonSenegalGambiaNigeriaAngola

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 African blue flycatcher or blue-crested flycatcher (Elminia longicauda) is a species of bird in the family Stenostiridae found in parts of West, Central and East Africa.

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

Questions

How big is the African Blue Flycatcher?

The African Blue Flycatcher is about 15–18 cm long and weighs around 9.9 g.

Where does the African Blue Flycatcher live?

Its breeding range: Africa: central, western. It is most often recorded in Uganda, Kenya and Ghana.

When is the best time to see the African Blue Flycatcher?

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

Is the African Blue Flycatcher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the African Blue Flycatcher as Least Concern.

What does the African Blue Flycatcher eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the African Blue Flycatcher in?

It belongs to the family Fairy Flycatchers (Stenostiridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
15–18 cm
Weight
9.9 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
67 mm
Tail
99 mm
Bill
14 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

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

Range

Africa: central, western

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Fairy Flycatchers Stenostiridae
Genus
Elminia

Other birds in the genus Elminia

White-tailed Blue FlycatcherWhite-tailed Blue FlycatcherElminia albicaudaDusky Crested FlycatcherDusky Crested FlycatcherElminia nigromitrataWhite-bellied Crested FlycatcherWhite-bellied Crested FlycatcherElminia albiventrisWhite-tailed Crested FlycatcherWhite-tailed Crested FlycatcherElminia albonotataYellow-bellied FantailYellow-bellied FantailChelidorhynx hypoxanthusFairy FlycatcherFairy FlycatcherStenostira scitaGrey-headed Canary-flycatcherGrey-headed Canary-flycatcherCulicicapa ceylonensisCitrine Canary-flycatcherCitrine Canary-flycatcherCulicicapa helianthea
African Blue Flycatcher

Download illustration

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

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