Chat (bird)
- This article is about the Old World chats; see below for other birds called "chats".
| Chats | |
|---|---|
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| 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 classified as members of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered Old World flycatchers.
The name is normally applied to the more robust ground-feeding flycatchers found in Europe and Asia and most northern species are strong migrants. There are a large number of genera and these birds in particular make up most of the subfamily Saxicolinae.
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
- Angolan 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 rock chat, Cercomela scotocerca
- Indian chat, Cercomela fusca
- Sombre rock chat, Cercomela dubia
- Blackstart, Cercomela melanura
- Moorland chat, Cercomela sordida
- Genus Myrmecocichla
- Congo moorchat, Myrmecocichla tholloni
- Anteater chat, Myrmecocichla aethiops
- Southern anteater-chat, Myrmecocichla formicivora
- Sooty chat, Myrmecocichla nigra
- Rüppell's black 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
- Genus Tarsiger - bush-robins
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 Myophonus, whistling thrushes
- 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 Brachypteryx - (4 species)
- Genus Heinrichia - great shortwing
- Genus Leonardina - Bagabo babbler
- 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