Chat

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 Australian Chats, in the genera Epthianura and Ashbyia of the Meliphagidae family, are not closely related.

There are a large number of genera.

Most northern species are strong migrants.

The Yellow-breasted Chat, a new-world species of unresolved taxonomy, originally thought to be in the Parulidae family, is unrelated.

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