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 is relatively large and includes 351 species, which are divided into 54 genera.
The cochoas are medium-sized frugivorous, insectivorous and molluscivorous birds in the genus Cochoa. Their bright contrasting plumage patterns, sexual dimorphism and feeding habits made their systematic position difficult to ascertain in early times, Richard Bowdler Sharpe placed them with the Prionopidae in 1879 while many considered them as some kind of aberrant thrush. The genus was previously included in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that it is more closely related to the thrush family Turdidae.
The forktails are small insectivorous birds in the genus Enicurus. They were formerly placed in the thrush family, Turdidae, but are now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. Their common name derives from their long forked tail.
Brachypteryx is a genus of passerine birds in the family Muscicapidae containing ten species known as shortwings, that occurs in southeast Asia.
The mountain wheatear or mountain chat is a small insectivorous passerine bird that is endemic to southwestern Africa.
Bradornis 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.
Muscicapa is a genus of passerine birds belonging to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, and therein to the typical flycatchers of subfamily Muscicapinae. They are widespread across Europe, Africa and Asia with most species occurring in forest and woodland habitats. Several species are migratory, moving south from Europe and northern Asia for the winter.
The chat flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that is native to southern 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 white-bellied robin-chat is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is found in western Cameroon, Bioko and the Albertine Rift montane forests. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
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 that are found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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.
Phoenicurus is a genus of passerine birds in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, native to Europe, Asia and Africa. They are named redstarts from their orange-red tails. They are small insectivores, the males mostly brightly coloured in various combinations of red, blue, white, and black, the females light brown with a red tail. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010 led to a reorganization of the Old World flycatchers family in which the two species in Rhyacornis and the single species in Chaimarrornis were merged into Phoenicurus.
Tarsiger is a genus of six species of birds in the family Muscicapidae. They are small, mostly brightly coloured insectivorous birds native to Asia and northeastern Europe; four of the six species are confined to the Sino-Himalayan mountain system. The genus has sometimes been included within the related genus Luscinia, but the species have been found to form a distinct monophyletic group.
Calliope is a genus of passerine birds in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
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.
