Order Passeriformes Genus Cercomela Higher classification Cercomela | Phylum Chordata Family Muscicapidae Scientific name Cercomela familiaris Rank Species | |
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Similar Bird, Cercomela, Capped wheatear, Mountain wheatear, Cape robin‑chat | ||
Southern african birds familiar chat hopping on ground
The familiar chat, Cercomela 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.
Contents
- Southern african birds familiar chat hopping on ground
- Juvenile familiar chat filmed by greg morgan
- Taxonomy
- Description
- Behaviour
- References
Juvenile familiar chat filmed by greg morgan
Taxonomy
The familiar chat is included in the genus Cercomela. Molecular phylogenetic studies published in 2010 and 2012 found that the genus Cercomela was polyphyletic with five species, including the familiar chat, phylogenetically nested within the genus Oenanthe, however many taxonomists continue to place the bird in Cercomela. As part of a reorganization of the species to create monotypic genera, the familiar chat was assigned to the genus Oenanthe.
Description
The familiar chat is a dumpy short-tailed bird 14–15 cm long. The adult’s upperparts are dark brown, and the face sides behind the eye are orange. The underparts vary from off-white to pale grey-brown, and the rump and outer tail feathers are orange. The central tail feathers are dark brown. The short straight bill and the legs and feet are black. The sexes are similar, but the juvenile is dark brown above and buff below, heavily marked with buff on the upperparts, and scaly on the breast.
The familiar chat has a soft "shek-shek" alarm call. The song is a warbling trill.
Behaviour
The familiar chat builds a cup-shaped nest of hair, wool, feathers or soft plant material on a base of coarse vegetation. It is constructed in a hole in the ground, a rock face or building. It will use nest boxes or a disused sociable weaver nest. It normally nests from July to April, but will breed at any time when conditions are right, especially in the more arid areas.
The familiar chat is typically seen sitting on a rock, or hopping on bare patches of soil. It has a habit of flicking its wings once or twice every time it moves. It is seen in small family groups of up to five birds, and is invariably tame and approachable. It eats insects, fruit, animal fat and household or farmyard scraps.
The Afrikaans name for this species "spekvreter" means "fat-eater", and comes from the fact that it developed the habit of feeding on the lard used to grease wagon axles by the voortrekkers.