African Paradise-Flycatcher
Terpsiphone viridis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyMonarchidae (Monarch Flycatchers)
- GenusTerpsiphone (Paradise-Flycatchers)
- SpeciesTerpsiphone viridis (African Paradise-Flycatcher)
The African paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone viridis) is a medium-sized passerine bird. The two central tail feathers of the male are extended into streamers that commonly are more than twice as long as the body. The female tail feathers are of moderate length and without streamers. The upper parts of the male body, wings, and tail are boldly coloured in chestnut or rusty shades, but the underparts and the head are variably grey to blue-gray, with the head of the mature male being darker, commonly glossy black with greenish highlights. The beak and other bare areas, including a wattle ring round the eye, match the colour of the surrounding feathers. The female coloration is similar, though not so showy and glossy and with the head paler. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a African Paradise-Flycatcher sighting in Selous Game Reserve, based on 5 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Selous Game Reserve
African Crested-Flycatcher
Trochocercus cyanomelas
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Tropical Boubou
Laniarius major
Purple-banded Sunbird
Cinnyris bifasciatus
African Golden-Weaver
Ploceus subaureus
Green-backed Camaroptera
Camaroptera brachyura
African Pied Wagtail
Motacilla aguimp
Collared Sunbird
Hedydipna collaris
Wire-tailed Swallow
Hirundo smithii
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Chalcomitra senegalensis
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Plocepasser mahali
Red-billed Firefinch
Lagonosticta senegala
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ 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
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a African Paradise-Flycatcher in Selous Game Reserve?
About 9% of wildlife watchers report a African Paradise-Flycatcher sighting in Selous Game Reserve, based on 5 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see African Paradise-Flycatcher in Selous Game Reserve?
March has the highest sighting rate for African Paradise-Flycatcher in Selous Game Reserve in our monthly data.