African Stonechat

Saxicola torquatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Cordats)
ClassAves (Aus)
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyMuscicapidae (Papamosques del Vell Món)
GenusSaxicola (Stonechats and Bushchats)
SpeciesSaxicola torquatus (African Stonechat)

Insufficient data

overall probability at Hwange National Park

2 Verified records at Hwange National Park

☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 Hwange National Park

Muscicapa striata

10–20% · With luck

Oenanthe pileata

10–20% · With luck

Erythropygia leucophrys

10–20% · With luck

Bradornis mariquensis

10–20% · With luck

Melaenornis pammelaina

5–10% · With luck

Cichladusa arquata

Insufficient data

Muscicapa caerulescens

Bradornis pallidus

Erythropygia paena

Cossypha heuglini

Muscicapa adusta

Erythropygia quadrivirgata

<5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of African Stonechat at Hwange National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal

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

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Probability
1	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	40–50%
2	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	40–50%
3	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	40–50%
4	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	30–40%
5	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	20–30%
6	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	20–30%
7	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	20–30%
8	Bale Mountains National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	20–30%
9	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	20–30%
10	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	10–20%
11	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	10–20%
12	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	10–20%
13	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	10–20%
14	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	10–20%
15	Ranomafana National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	10–20%
16	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	10–20%
17	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	10–20%
18	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	10–20%
19	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	5–10%
20	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	5–10%
21	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	5–10%
22	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	5–10%
23	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	5–10%
24	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
25	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
26	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
27	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
28	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
29	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
30	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
31	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
32	Ankarafantsika National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	Insufficient data
33	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
34	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
35	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
36	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
37	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
38	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
39	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
40	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
41	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
42	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data

← Back to Hwange National Park

African Stonechat

Closest Relatives at Hwange National Park

Spotted Flycatcher

Capped Wheatear

White-browed Scrub Robin

Mariqua Flycatcher

Southern Black Flycatcher

Collared Palmthrush

Ashy Alseonax

Pale Flycatcher

Kalahari Scrub Robin

White-browed Robin-Chat

African Dusky Flycatcher

Bearded Scrub Robin

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found