Chats (formerly sometimes known as "chat-thrushes") are a group of small
Old World insectivorous
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
s formerly classified as members of the
thrush
''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...
family (Turdidae), but following genetic DNA analysis, are now considered to belong to the
Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae).
The name is normally applied to the more robust ground-feeding flycatchers found in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
and most northern species are strong
migrants. There are many genera and these birds in particular make up most of the
subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classifica ...
Saxicolinae.
Other songbirds called "chats" are:
* Australian chats, genera ''
Ashbyia
The gibberbird (''Ashbyia lovensis'') is a species of chat within the passerine birds.
Taxonomy
This species, also formerly known as the desert chat, is endemic to Australia and the only species within the genus ''Ashbyia''.Pizzey, Graham; Doyle ...
'' and ''
Epthianura
''Epthianura'' is a genus of bird also known as the Australian chats. Along with the gibberbird in the genus ''Ashbyia'' they were once thought to constitute a separate family, the Epthianuridae, although most taxonomists today treat them as a su ...
'' 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
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classifica ...
Saxicolinae
** Genus ''
Tarsiger'' - bush-robins
***
Red-flanked bluetail
The red-flanked bluetail (''Tarsiger cyanurus''), also known as the orange-flanked bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old Worl ...
or orange-flanked bush-robin, ''Tarsiger cyanurus''
***
Golden bush robin
The golden bush robin (''Tarsiger chrysaeus'') or golden bush-robin was first discovered in 1845 by Brian Houghton Hodgson, a British naturalist.
Description
This species is typically a 14-15 cm long species of songbird in the family Muscicapi ...
, ''Tarsiger chrysaeus''
***
White-browed bush robin
The white-browed bush robin (''Tarsiger indicus'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.
It is found from the Himalayas to south-central China and Taiwan. Its natural habitat is Rhododendron and conifer forests.
The subspecies ''for ...
, ''Tarsiger indicus''
***
Rufous-breasted bush robin, ''Tarsiger hyperythrus''
***
Collared bush robin, ''Tarsiger johnstoniae''
** Genus ''
Luscinia'' (4 species)
** Genus ''
Calliope'' (4 species)
** Genus ''
Larvivora '' (6 species)
** Genus ''
Erithacus'' - European robin
** 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
The Indian robin (''Copsychus fulicatus'')Rasmussen & Anderton emend the species epithet from ''fulicata'' to ''fulicatus'' since ''Saxicola'' is masculine and the ''-oides'' ending is always masculine according to ICZN Code 30.1.4.4ICZN Code. See ...
'' - Indian robin (formerly)
** Genus ''
Cinclidium''
***
Blue-fronted robin
The blue-fronted robin (''Cinclidium frontale'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Cinclidium''. It is found in Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk ...
, ''Cinclidium frontale''
** Genus ''
Myiomela''
***
White-tailed robin, ''Myiomela leucura''
***
Javan blue robin, ''Myiomela diana''
***
Sumatran blue robin, ''Myiomela sumatrana''
** Genus ''
Grandala''
***
Grandala, ''Grandala coelicolor''
** Genus ''
Namibornis''
***
Herero chat
The Herero chat (''Namibornis herero'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Namibornis''. It is endemic to the Namibian savanna woodlands
The Namibian savanna woodlands, also known as the Namib ...
, ''Namibornis herero''
** Genus ''
Emarginata''
***
Sickle-winged chat, ''Emarginata sinuata''
***
Karoo chat, ''Emarginata schlegelii''
***
Tractrac chat, ''Emarginata tractrac''
** Genus ''
Oenanthe''
***
Familiar chat
The familiar chat (''Oenanthe familiaris'') is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is a common resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara in rocky and mountainous habitat and around human habitation.
Ta ...
, ''Oenanthe familiaris''
***
Brown-tailed rock chat, ''Oenanthe scotocerca''
***
Brown rock chat, ''Oenanthe fusca''
***
Sombre rock chat, ''Oenanthe dubia''
***
Blackstart, ''Oenanthe melanura''
***
Moorland chat, ''Oenanthe sordida''
** Genus ''
Myrmecocichla
''Myrmecocichla'' is a genus of passerine birds in the Old World chat and flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
The genus contains the following species:
* Sooty chat (''Myrmecocichla nigra'')
* Anteater chat (''Myrmecocichla aethiops'')
* Congo ...
''
***
Sooty chat (''Myrmecocichla nigra'')
***
Anteater chat (''Myrmecocichla aethiops'')
***
Congo moor chat (''Myrmecocichla tholloni'')
***
Ant-eating chat (''Myrmecocichla formicivora'')
***
Rüppell's black chat (''Myrmecocichla melaena'')
***
Mountain chat (''Myrmecocichla monticola'')
***
Arnot's chat (''Myrmecocichla arnoti'')
***
Ruaha chat (''Myrmecocichla collaris'')
** 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
''Cossypha'' are small insectivorous birds, with most species called robin-chats. They were formerly in the thrush family Turdidae, but are now more often treated as part of the Old World flycatcher Muscicapidae.
These are African woodland dwel ...
'' -
robin-chats (15 species, excluding the white-bellied robin-chat)
* Genus ''
Cichladusa'' -
palm-thrushes (3 species)
* Genus ''
Cercotrichas
The scrub robins or bush chats are medium-sized insectivorous birds in the genus ''Cercotrichas''. They were formerly in the thrush family, (Turdidae), but are more often now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family, (Muscicapidae). ...
'' -
scrub-robins or bush-chats (10 species)
* Genus ''
Myophonus
The whistling thrushes comprise a genus ''Myophonus'' (''Myiophoneus'') of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
They are all medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds. They are all brightly coloured species found in India a ...
'',
whistling thrushes
* Genus ''
Copsychus
The magpie-robins or shamas (from ''shama'', Bengali and Hindi for ''C. malabaricus'') are medium-sized insectivorous birds (some also eat berries and other fruit) in the genus ''Copsychus''. They were formerly in the thrush family Turdidae, bu ...
'' -
magpie-robins or shamas (12 species)
* Genus ''
Phoenicurus'' - true redstarts (11 species)
* Genus ''
Enicurus'' -
forktails (7 species)
* Genus ''
Cochoa
The cochoas (from ''cocho'', Nepali for '' Cochoa purpurea'') are medium-sized frugivorous, insectivorous and molluscivorous birds in the genus ''Cochoa''. Their bright contrasting plumage patterns, sexual dimorphism and feeding habits made thei ...
'' -
cochoa
The cochoas (from ''cocho'', Nepali for '' Cochoa purpurea'') are medium-sized frugivorous, insectivorous and molluscivorous birds in the genus ''Cochoa''. Their bright contrasting plumage patterns, sexual dimorphism and feeding habits made thei ...
s (4 species)
* Genus ''
Brachypteryx
''Brachypteryx'' is a genus of passerine birds containing six species known as shortwings, that occurs in southeast Asia.
Shortwings are small birds with long legs, finely pointed bills, short tails and short rounded wings. They are shy elusive ...
'' - (4 species)
* Genus ''
Heinrichia'' - great shortwing
* Genus ''
Leonardina'' - Bagobo babbler
* Genus ''
Oenanthe'' -
wheatears (some 20 species)
Aberrant redstarts, possibly belonging in this subfamily:
* Genus ''
Chaimarrornis'' - white-capped redstart
* Genus ''
Rhyacornis'' (2 species)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chat (Bird)
*