African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyMuscicapidae (Papamosques del Vell Món)
- GenusSaxicola (Stonechats and Bushchats)
- SpeciesSaxicola torquatus (African Stonechat)
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". In the past S. torquatus usually referred to the entire "common stonechat" superspecies and some sources still keep it that way, but all available evidence strongly supports full species status for the European (S. rubicola) and the Siberian stonechat (S. maurus) of temperate Eurasia, in addition to the island-endemics Fuerteventura chat (S. dacotiae) and Réunion stonechat (S. tectes) which were never unequivocally accepted into S. torquatus. The Madagascar stonechat (S. t. sibilla) has sometimes been considered distinct. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Nairobi National Park
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra
White-browed Scrub Robin
Erythropygia leucophrys
African Gray Flycatcher
Bradornis microrhynchus
Rüppell's Robin-Chat
Cossypha semirufa
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
Dioptrornis fischeri
Spotted Morning-Thrush
Cichladusa guttata
Northern Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
Isabelline Wheatear
Oenanthe isabellina
Southern Black Flycatcher
Melaenornis pammelaina
African Dusky Flycatcher
Muscicapa adusta
White-browed Robin-Chat
Cossypha heuglini
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of African Stonechat at Nairobi National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there