Southern Tchagra (Tchagra tchagra)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Southern Tchagra

Tchagra tchagra (Vieillot, 1816)

17–21 cmLength50 gWeight

The southern tchagra (Tchagra tchagra) is a passerine bird found in dense scrub and coastal bush in southern and south-eastern South Africa and Eswatini.

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

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Southern Tchagra has been recorded at 14 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. De Hoop Nature ReserveSouth Africa315 records
  2. Karoo NPSouth Africa36 records
  3. Mkhuze GRSouth Africa21 records
More places
  1. iSimangaliso WP – Eastern ShoresSouth Africa6 records
  2. DO NOT USE** Hluhluwe-Imfolozi GRSouth Africa5 records
  3. Eshowe – Dlinza ForestSouth Africa4 records
  4. Mkhuze GR – Kumasinga HideSouth Africa3 records
  5. Pietermaritzburg – Darvill Resources ParkSouth Africa3 records
  6. DO NOT USE** Ndumo GRSouth Africa2 records
  7. Bonamanzi GRSouth Africa2 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaEswatini

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 tchagra (Tchagra tchagra) is a passerine bird found in dense scrub and coastal bush in southern and south-eastern South Africa and Eswatini.

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

Questions

How big is the Southern Tchagra?

The Southern Tchagra is about 17–21 cm long and weighs around 50 g.

Where does the Southern Tchagra live?

Its breeding range: Africa: southern. It is most often recorded in South Africa and Eswatini.

When is the best time to see the Southern Tchagra?

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

Is the Southern Tchagra endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Southern Tchagra as Least Concern.

What does the Southern Tchagra eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Southern Tchagra in?

It belongs to the family Bushshrikes (Malaconotidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
17–21 cm
Weight
50 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
79 mm
Tail
87 mm
Bill
27 mm
Tarsus
29 mm

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

Range

Africa: southern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Bushshrikes Malaconotidae
Genus
Tchagra

Other birds in the genus Tchagra

Southern Tchagra

Download illustration

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

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages