Chat

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This article is about the Old World chats; see below for other birds called "chats".

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^[when?] classed as members of the thrush family Turdidae, but now^[vague] considered Old World flycatchers.

This name is normally applied to the robust ground-feeding flycatchers found in Europe and Asia; these make up most of the subfamily Saxicolinae. There are a large number of genera. Most northern species are strong migrants.

Other songbirds called "chats" are:

• Australian chats, genera Ashbyia and Epthianura of the honeyeater family (Meliphagidae). They belong to a more ancient lineage than Saxicolinae.
• American chats, genus Granatellus of the cardinal family (Cardinalidae), formerly placed in the wood-warbler family. They belong to a more modern lineage than Saxicolinae.
• Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens), an enigmatic North American songbird tentatively placed in the wood-warbler family (Parulidae); its true relationships are unresolved.

Species in taxonomic order

• 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 robins (1-5 species, depending on taxonomy)
  • 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
    • Sickle-winged 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

Saxicolinae genera not usually called "chats" are:

• Genus Sheppardia - akalats (9 species)
• Genus Cossyphicula - White-bellied Robin-chat - may belong in Cossypha
• Genus Cossypha - robin-chats (14 species)
• Genus Cichladusa - palm-thrushes (3 species)
• Genus Cercotrichas - scrub-robins or bush-chats (11 species)
• Genus Copsychus - magpie-robins or shamas (7 species)
• Genus Phoenicurus - true redstarts (11 species)
• Genus Enicurus - forktails (7 species)
• Genus Cochoa - cochoas (4 species)
• Genus Oenanthe - wheatears (some 20 species)
• Genus Trichixos - Rufous-tailed Shama

Aberrant redstarts, possibly belonging in this subfamily:

• Genus Chaimarrornis - White-capped Redstart
• Genus Rhyacornis (2 species)
• Genus Hodgsonius - White-bellied Redstart