Chat (bird) - Definition and Overview

Chats
Bluethroat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Muscicapidae
Genera
See text.

Chats are a group of small Old World insectivorous birds formerly classed as members of the thrush family Turdidae.

This name is normally applied to the robust ground feeding species found in Europe and Asia in the subfamily Saxicolini.

They come from a large number of genera.

Most northern species are strong migrants.

Species are:

• Family: Muscicapidae
  • Subfamily: Saxicolini
    • Bluethroat, Luscinia svecica
    • Siberian Rubythroat, Luscinia calliope
    • Rufous-tailed Robin, Luscinia sibilans
    • Thrush Nightingale, Luscinia luscinia
    • Nightingale, Luscinia megarhynchos
    • Indian Blue Robin, Luscinia brunneus
    • White-tailed Rubythroat, Luscinia pectoralis
    • Rufous-headed Robin, Luscinia ruficeps
    • Black-throated Blue Robin, Luscinia obscura
    • Firethroat, Luscinia pectardens
    • Siberian Blue Robin, Luscinia cyane
    • Red-flanked Bluetail, Tarsiger cyanurus
    • Golden Bush-Robin, Tarsiger chrysaeus
    • White-browed Bush-Robin, Tarsiger indicus
    • Rufous-breasted Bush-Robin, Tarsiger hyperythrus
    • Collared Bush-Robin, Tarsiger johnstoniae
    • European Robin, Erithacus rubecula
    • Japanese Robin, Erithacus akahige
    • Ryukyu Robin, Erithacus komadori
    • White-throated Robin, Irania gutturalis
    • Whinchat, Saxicola rubetra
    • Stoliczka's Bushchat or White-browed Bushchat, Saxicola macrorhyncha
    • Hodgson's Bushchat or White-throated Bushchat, Saxicola insignis
    • Fuerteventura Chat or Canary Island Stonechat, Saxicola dacotiae
    • European Stonechat, Saxicola rubicola (previously S. torquata rubicola)
    • Siberian Stonechat or Asian Stonechat, Saxicola maura (previously S. torquata maura)
    • African Stonechat, Saxicola torquata
    • Réunion Stonechat, Saxicola tectes
    • White-tailed Stonechat, Saxicola leucura
    • Pied Bushchat, Saxicola caprata
    • Jerdon's Bushchat, Saxicola jerdoni
    • Grey Bushchat, Saxicola ferrea
    • White-bellied Bushchat or Timor Bushchat, Saxicola gutturalis
    • Buff-streaked Bushchat, Saxicola bifasciata
    • White-starred Robin, Pogonocichla stellata
    • Swynnerton's Robin, Swynnertonia swynnertoni
    • Forest Robin, Stiphrornis erythrothorax
    • Angola Cave-Chat, Xenocopsychus ansorgei
    • Indian Robin, Saxicoloides fulicata
    • White-tailed Robin, Cinclidium leucurum
    • Sunda Robin, Cinclidium diana
    • Blue-fronted Robin, Cinclidium frontale
    • Grandala, Grandala coelicolor
    • Herero Chat, Namibornis herero
    • Sicklewing Chat, Cercomela sinuata
    • Karoo Chat, Cercomela schlegelii
    • Tractrac Chat, Cercomela tractrac
    • Familiar Chat, Cercomela familiaris
    • Brown-tailed Chat, Cercomela scotocerca
    • Indian Chat, Cercomela fusca
    • Sombre Chat, Cercomela dubia
    • Blackstart, Cercomela melanura
    • Moorland Chat, Cercomela sordida
    • Congo Moorchat, Myrmecocichla tholloni
    • Northern Anteater-Chat, Myrmecocichla aethiops
    • Southern Anteater-Chat, Myrmecocichla formicivora
    • Sooty Chat, Myrmecocichla nigra
    • Rueppell's Chat, Myrmecocichla melaena
    • White-fronted Black-Chat, Myrmecocichla albifrons
    • White-headed Black-Chat, Myrmecocichla arnotti
    • Mocking Cliff-Chat, Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
    • White-winged Cliff-Chat, Thamnolaea semirufa
    • Boulder Chat Pinarornis plumosus

Other Saxicolini species are dealt with under the following articles:

• Genus Oenanthe, wheatears
• Genus Phoenicurus redstarts.
• Genus Sheppardia, akalats
• Genus Cossyphicula, robin-chats
• Genus Cichladusa, palm-thrushes
• Genus Cercotrichas, scrub-robins, including Rufous Bush Robin
• Genera Copsychus and Trichixos, magpie-robins and sharmas
• Genus Enicurus, forktails
• Genus Cochoa, cochoas