| Chat flycatcher | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In Etosha National Park | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Muscicapidae |
| Genus: | Agricola |
| Species: | A. infuscatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Agricola infuscatus (Smith, A, 1839) | |
| Synonyms | |
Bradornis infuscatus | |
The chat flycatcher (Agricola infuscatus) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that is native to southern Africa.
The chat flycatcher was previously placed in the genus Bradornis but was moved to Melaenornis based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010. [2] It was subsequently moved to the genus Agricola based on a study published in 2023. [3] [4]
The chat flycatcher is an earthy light reddish-brown in colour and has large, pale wing edges. Juvenile flycatchers have speckled feathers. The flycatcher produces a song that consists of a "cher cher chirrup" sound. [5] The bird is about twenty centimeters long. [5]
The chat flycatcher is found in South Africa, Botswana and Angola. [1] The flycatcher frequently perches on low-lying bushes and telephone wires. [5] Its natural habitat is dry savanna. However, it is also found in shrublands and woodlands throughout its range. [6]
The chat flycatcher hunts insects. [5] Specifically, it consumes termites, ants and beetles. The flycatcher also consumes small reptiles such as Typhlops , a genus of blind snakes. [6]
The chat flycatcher lays eggs year round. However, egg laying is believed to peak from September to March, a period of increased rainfall in the habitat of the flycatcher. The flycatcher lays an average of two to three eggs. [6] The chat flycatcher nests above ground in shrubs and thickets. [7] The mother incubates the eggs for approximately two weeks, while the father is responsible for ensuring that the female is fed. After the eggs hatch, the hatchlings are raised and fed by their parents. They tend to leave the nest anywhere from eleven to fourteen days after hatching. [6]
The chat flycatcher is categorized as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The reasoning for this ranking includes the flycatcher's large range and relatively stable population trends. [1]
The Old World flycatchers are a large family, the Muscicapidae, of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World, with the exception of several vagrants and two species, bluethroat and northern wheatear, found also in North America. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing. The family includes 352 species and is divided into 51 genera.
Alethe is a genus of small mainly insectivorous birds in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that occur in West Africa.
The whistling thrushes comprise a genus Myophonus (Myiophoneus) of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
The mountain wheatear or mountain chat is a small insectivorous passerine bird that is endemic to southwestern Africa.
Melaenornis is a genus of small passerine birds in the large family Muscicapidae commonly known as the Old World flycatchers. They are restricted to sub-Saharan Africa.
The Marico flycatcher or Mariqua flycatcher is a passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that is found in areas of southern Africa.
The African grey flycatcher, grayish flycatcher, or large flycatcher is a passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that occurs in parts of East Africa.
The pale flycatcher is a passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Abyssinian slaty flycatcher, also known as Abyssinian flycatcher, Abyssinian black flycatcher or Abyssinian chocolate flycatcher, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae, the Old World flycatchers. It is often placed in the genus Dioptrornis. It is native to Africa, where it occurs in Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Fraseria is a genus of passerine birds in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
The white-bellied redstart is a species of bird of the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam, where its natural habitat is temperate forests.
The white-fronted black chat is a species of passerine bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are moist savanna and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
The Buru jungle flycatcher, also known as the streak-breasted jungle-flycatcher or streaky-breasted jungle-flycatcher, is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the island of Buru in Indonesia where it originally inhabited tropical forests at elevations between 500 and 1,500 metres.
The eyebrowed jungle flycatcher is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the island of Borneo. The natural habitat of the eyebrowed jungle flycatcher is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It builds an open, mossy cup nest, generally in epiphytes or spiny palms.
The Flores jungle flycatcher is a passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands.
The grey-chested jungle flycatcher is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Anthipes flycatchers are a genus of Old World flycatchers.
Chamaetylas is a genus of small, mainly insectivorous birds in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that are native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Vauriella is a genus of birds in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that occur in Borneo and the Philippines.
Agricola is a genus of small passerine birds in the large family Muscicapidae commonly known as the Old World flycatchers. They are restricted to sub-Saharan Africa.
