Chat (bird)

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Chats

Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Muscicapidae
Subfamily:	Saxicolinae

Genera

About 30, see text.

Chats (formerly sometimes known as Chat-thrushes) are a group of small Old World insectivorous birds formerly classed as members of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered Old World flycatchers.

This name is normally applied to the robust ground feeding species found in Europe and Asia; these make up most of the subfamily Saxicolinae.

The are a large number of genera.

Most northern species are strong migrants.

Genera and species are:

FAMILY MUSCICAPIDAE

Subfamily Saxicolinae
- Genus Tarsiger - bush-robins
  - Red-flanked Bluetail or Orange-flanked Bush-robin, Tarsiger cyanurus
  - Golden Bush-robin, Tarsiger chrysaeus
  - White-browed Bush-robin, Tarsiger indicus
  - Rufous-breasted Bush-robin, Tarsiger hyperythrus
  - Collared Bush-robin, Tarsiger johnstoniae
- Genus Luscinia (11 species) - paraphyletic
- Genus Erithacus (3-4 species) - paraphyletic
- 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 Robin
- Genus Xenocopsychus
  - Angola Cave Chat, Xenocopsychus ansorgei
- Genus Saxicoloides - Indian Robin
- Genus Cinclidium
  - White-tailed Robin, Cinclidium leucurum
  - Sunda Robin, Cinclidium diana
  - Blue-fronted Robin, Cinclidium frontale
- Genus Grandala
  - Grandala, Grandala coelicolor
- Genus Namibornis
  - Herero Chat, Namibornis herero
- Genus Cercomela
  - 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
- Genus Myrmecocichla
  - 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
- Genus Thamnolaea - cliff chats
  - Mocking Cliff-chat, Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
  - White-winged Cliff-chat, Thamnolaea semirufa
- Genus Pinarornis
  - Boulder Chat Pinarornis plumosus