Chat (bird)

This article is about the Old World chats; see below for other birds called "chats".

Chats

Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Muscicapidae
Subfamily:	Saxicolinae
Genera
About 30, see text.

Chats (formerly sometimes known as "Chat-thrushes") are a group of small Old World insectivorous birds formerly classed as members of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered Old World flycatchers.

This name is normally applied to the robust ground-feeding flycatchers found in Europe and Asia; these make up most of the subfamily Saxicolinae. There are a large number of genera. Most northern species are strong migrants.

Other songbirds called "chats" are:

Australian chats, genera Ashbyia and Epthianura of the honeyeater family (Meliphagidae). They belong to a more ancient lineage than Saxicolinae.
American chats, genus Granatellus of the cardinal family (Cardinalidae), formerly placed in the wood-warbler family. They belong to a more modern lineage than Saxicolinae.
Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens), an enigmatic North American songbird tentatively placed in the wood-warbler family (Parulidae); its true relationships are unresolved.

Species in taxonomic order

Subfamily Saxicolinae
- Genus Tarsiger - bush-robins
  - Red-flanked Bluetail or Orange-flanked Bush-robin, Tarsiger cyanurus
  - Golden Bush-robin, Tarsiger chrysaeus
  - White-browed Bush-robin, Tarsiger indicus
  - Rufous-breasted Bush-robin, Tarsiger hyperythrus
  - Collared Bush-robin, Tarsiger johnstoniae
- Genus Luscinia (11 species) - paraphyletic
- Genus Erithacus (3-4 species) - paraphyletic
- Genus Irania - White-throated Robin
- Genus Saxicola - bushchats and stonechats (c.15 species)
- Genus Pogonocichla
  - White-starred Robin, Pogonocichla stellata
- Genus Swynnertonia
  - Swynnerton's Robin, Swynnertonia swynnertoni
- Genus Stiphrornis - forest robins (1-5 species, depending on taxonomy)
- Genus Xenocopsychus
  - Angola Cave-chat, Xenocopsychus ansorgei
- Genus Saxicoloides - Indian Robin
- Genus Cinclidium
  - White-tailed Robin, Cinclidium leucurum
  - Sunda Robin, Cinclidium diana
  - Blue-fronted Robin, Cinclidium frontale
- Genus Grandala
  - Grandala, Grandala coelicolor
- Genus Namibornis
  - Herero Chat, Namibornis herero
- Genus Cercomela
  - Sickle-winged Chat, Cercomela sinuata
  - Karoo Chat, Cercomela schlegelii
  - Tractrac Chat, Cercomela tractrac
  - Familiar Chat, Cercomela familiaris
  - Brown-tailed Chat, Cercomela scotocerca
  - Indian Chat, Cercomela fusca
  - Sombre Chat, Cercomela dubia
  - Blackstart, Cercomela melanura
  - Moorland Chat, Cercomela sordida
- Genus Myrmecocichla
  - Congo Moorchat, Myrmecocichla tholloni
  - Northern Anteater-chat, Myrmecocichla aethiops
  - Southern Anteater-chat, Myrmecocichla formicivora
  - Sooty Chat, Myrmecocichla nigra
  - Rueppell's Chat, Myrmecocichla melaena
  - White-fronted Black-chat, Myrmecocichla albifrons
  - White-headed Black-chat, Myrmecocichla arnotti
- Genus Thamnolaea - cliff chats
  - Mocking Cliff-chat, Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
  - White-winged Cliff-chat, Thamnolaea semirufa
- Genus Pinarornis
  - Boulder Chat Pinarornis plumosus

Saxicolinae genera not usually called "chats" are:

Genus Sheppardia - akalats (9 species)
Genus Cossyphicula - White-bellied Robin-chat - may belong in Cossypha
Genus Cossypha - robin-chats (14 species)
Genus Cichladusa - palm-thrushes (3 species)
Genus Cercotrichas - scrub-robins or bush-chats (11 species)
Genus Copsychus - magpie-robins or shamas (7 species)
Genus Phoenicurus - true redstarts (11 species)
Genus Enicurus - forktails (7 species)
Genus Cochoa - cochoas (4 species)
Genus Oenanthe - wheatears (some 20 species)
Genus Trichixos - Rufous-tailed Shama

Aberrant redstarts, possibly belonging in this subfamily:

Genus Chaimarrornis - White-capped Redstart
Genus Rhyacornis (2 species)
Genus Hodgsonius - White-bellied Redstart