African Stonechat

Saxicola torquatus (Linnaeus, 1766)

14 gWeight

The African stonechat or common stonechat (Saxicola torquatus) is a species of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), inhabiting sub-Saharan Africa and adjacent regions.

Busiest months: November · Most records: South Africa, Tanzania, Madagascar

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

African Stonechat has been recorded at 352 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 27 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Rietvlei NRSouth Africa1,341 records
Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa1,060 records
Arusha NPTanzania534 records

More places

Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania513 records
Suikerbosrand NRSouth Africa421 records
Sani Pass (ZA) – low elevationSouth Africa308 records
Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-tourism ParkRwanda305 records
Andasibe-Mantadia NPMadagascar299 records
West Coast NPSouth Africa290 records
Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa271 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South Africa Tanzania Madagascar Kenya Botswana Rwanda Zimbabwe Uganda

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 stonechat or common stonechat (Saxicola torquatus) is a species of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), inhabiting sub-Saharan Africa and adjacent regions. Like the other chats, it was long assigned to the thrush family (Turdidae), to which the chats are convergent. Its scientific name refer to its appearance and habitat and means "collared rock-dweller": Saxicola from Latin saxum ("rock") + incola ("one who dwells in a place"), torquatus, Latin for "collared".

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

Questions

How big is the African Stonechat?

The African Stonechat weighs around 14 g.

Where does the African Stonechat live?

Its breeding range: Africa: southwestern Arabian Peninsula and Sub-Saharan Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Tanzania and Madagascar.