Southern Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis pammelaina)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Southern Black Flycatcher

Melaenornis pammelaina (Stanley, 1814)

30 gWeight

The southern black flycatcher (Melaenornis pammelaina) is a small passerine bird of the genus Melaenornis in the flycatcher family, Muscicapidae, native to open and lightly wooded areas of eastern and southern Africa.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique

Southern Black Flycatcher has been recorded at 255 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 14 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Mkhuze GRSouth Africa393 records
  2. Nairobi NPKenya372 records
  3. Dunes de DovelaMozambique209 records
More places
  1. Kruger NP – Pretoriuskop Rest CampSouth Africa189 records
  2. Manyoni GR – Zebra Hills LodgeSouth Africa176 records
  3. Kruger NP – Skukuza CampSouth Africa163 records
  4. Samburu NRKenya136 records
  5. Mukuvisi WoodlandsZimbabwe125 records
  6. Mkhuze GR – Kumasinga HideSouth Africa118 records
  7. Mlilwane Wildlife SanctuaryEswatini117 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaKenyaMozambiqueZambiaZimbabweEswatiniTanzaniaMalawi

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 southern black flycatcher (Melaenornis pammelaina) is a small passerine bird of the genus Melaenornis in the flycatcher family, Muscicapidae, native to open and lightly wooded areas of eastern and southern Africa.

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

Questions

How big is the Southern Black Flycatcher?

The Southern Black Flycatcher weighs around 30 g.

Where does the Southern Black Flycatcher live?

Its breeding range: Africa: eastern, southern. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Mozambique.

When is the best time to see the Southern Black Flycatcher?

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

Is the Southern Black Flycatcher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Southern Black Flycatcher as Least Concern.

What does the Southern Black Flycatcher eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Southern Black Flycatcher in?

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

At a glance

Weight
30 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
108 mm
Tail
94 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
23 mm

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

Range

Africa: eastern, southern

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 fischeriAbyssinian Slaty FlycatcherAbyssinian Slaty FlycatcherMelaenornis chocolatinusNimba FlycatcherNimba FlycatcherMelaenornis annamarulaeYellow-eyed Black FlycatcherYellow-eyed Black FlycatcherMelaenornis ardesiacusNorthern Black FlycatcherNorthern Black FlycatcherMelaenornis edolioidesWhite-tailed AletheWhite-tailed AletheAlethe diademataFire-crested AletheFire-crested AletheAlethe castaneaKaroo Scrub RobinKaroo Scrub RobinTychaedon coryphoeusBrown Scrub RobinBrown Scrub RobinTychaedon signata
Southern Black Flycatcher

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

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