The chat flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that is native to southern Africa.
Region
Southern Africa
Typical Environment
Found widely across arid and semi-arid regions of southern Africa, including the Kalahari and Karoo. It prefers open savanna, thornveld, and dry scrub with scattered bushes and fence lines. The species readily uses lightly grazed farmlands and road verges as hunting habitat. It is generally sedentary, with only local movements in response to rainfall and prey availability.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The chat flycatcher often perches on low shrubs, posts, or fence lines, sallying out to catch flying insects and then returning to the same perch. It is usually seen singly or in pairs and frequently flicks its tail, revealing warm rufous tones. Nests are open cups placed in bushes or small trees, and both parents feed the young. It is tolerant of arid landscapes and commonly occurs on farms and along roadsides.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with frequent sallies from exposed perches
Social Behavior
Typically seen alone or in pairs, defending territories during the breeding season. The nest is an open cup in a shrub or low tree; both adults incubate and feed nestlings. Outside breeding, loose associations may form in areas with abundant insects.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A simple, soft warble interspersed with sharp 'chak' or 'tchik' notes. Often delivered from a prominent perch, with more frequent vocalizing at dawn and in cool hours.
Plumage
Plain brown to grey-brown with subtly paler underparts and a warm rufous tone in the rump and tail. Feathers are smooth and unpatterned, giving a clean, uniform look. Sexes are similar.
Diet
Primarily feeds on insects such as beetles, termites, ants, grasshoppers, and moths. It uses perch-and-sally hunting, catching prey in short aerial pursuits or picking it from the ground. It may also take spiders and other small arthropods, and only rarely small berries.
Preferred Environment
Hunts along open patches in thorn scrub, on farm edges, and along fence lines where perches are available. Frequently forages near roadsides and in lightly grazed rangelands.
