Southern Black Flycatcher
Melaenornis pammelaina
The Southern Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis pammelaina) is a uncommon chats, old world flycatchers, and alli found in 16 countries, weighing about 30 g. The southern black flycatcher 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.
About the Southern Black Flycatcher
The southern black flycatcher 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.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The southern black flycatcher is entirely black, with a black beak and black legs. The iris of the eye is brown and this, along with the square-cut tail, helps distinguish it from the otherwise similar fork-tailed drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis) which has a red iris and long forked tail.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Somalia.
When to see it
The Southern Black Flycatcher can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Southern Black Flycatcher?
- The southern black flycatcher is entirely black, with a black beak and black legs. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Southern Black Flycatcher?
- The Southern Black Flycatcher is a small sized bird weighing about 30 g.
- Where can you see a Southern Black Flycatcher?
- The Southern Black Flycatcher occurs in 16 countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Eswatini and Zambia.
- What birds look similar to a Southern Black Flycatcher?
- The Southern Black Flycatcher is most easily confused with the Northern Black Flycatcher, the Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher and the Nimba Flycatcher.
- Is the Southern Black Flycatcher endangered?
- The Southern Black Flycatcher is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Southern Black Flycatcher for real
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