Chats (formerly sometimes known as "chat-thrushes") are a group of small
Old World
The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...
insectivorous
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
s formerly classified as members of the
thrush family (Turdidae), but following genetic DNA analysis are now considered to belong to the
Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae).
The name is normally applied to the more robust ground-feeding flycatchers found in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
and most northern species are strong
migrants. There are many genera and these birds in particular make up most of the
subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...
Saxicolinae.
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
Cardinalidae (sometimes referred to as "cardinal-grosbeaks" or simply "cardinals") is a family of New World-Endemism, endemic passerine birds that consists of Cardinalis, cardinals, grosbeaks, and Passerina, buntings. It also includes several ot ...
), 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 previously placed in the wood-warbler family (
Parulidae
The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds that make up the family Parulidae and are restricted to the New World. The family contains 120 species. They are not closely related to Old World warb ...
) and now in the monotypic Icteriidae; its true relationships are unresolved.
Species in taxonomic order
*
Subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...
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'' (4 species)
** Genus ''
Calliope
In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; ) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses".
Mythology
Calliope had two famous sons, OrpheusH ...
'' (4 species)
** Genus ''
Larvivora
''Larvivora'' is a genus of small passerine birds belonging to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that occur in central and eastern Asia.
The species in this genus were all previously classified in other genera. A large molecular phylo ...
'' (8 species)
** Genus ''
Erithacus'' – European robin
** 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 (formerly)
** Genus ''
Cinclidium''
***
Blue-fronted robin, ''Cinclidium frontale''
** Genus ''
Myiomela''
***
White-tailed robin, ''Myiomela leucura''
***
Javan blue robin, ''Myiomela diana''
***
Sumatran blue robin, ''Myiomela sumatrana''
** Genus ''
Grandala''
***
Grandala, ''Grandala coelicolor''
** Genus ''
Namibornis''
***
Herero chat, ''Namibornis herero''
** Genus ''
Emarginata''
***
Sickle-winged chat, ''Emarginata sinuata''
***
Karoo chat, ''Emarginata schlegelii''
***
Tractrac chat, ''Emarginata tractrac''
** Genus ''
Oenanthe''
***
Familiar chat, ''Oenanthe familiaris''
***
Brown-tailed rock chat, ''Oenanthe scotocerca''
***
Brown rock chat, ''Oenanthe fusca''
***
Sombre rock chat, ''Oenanthe dubia''
***
Blackstart, ''Oenanthe melanura''
***
Moorland chat, ''Oenanthe sordida''
** Genus ''
Myrmecocichla''
***
Sooty chat (''Myrmecocichla nigra'')
***
Anteater chat (''Myrmecocichla aethiops'')
***
Congo moor chat (''Myrmecocichla tholloni'')
***
Ant-eating chat (''Myrmecocichla formicivora'')
***
Rüppell's black chat (''Myrmecocichla melaena'')
***
Mountain chat (''Myrmecocichla monticola'')
***
Arnot's chat (''Myrmecocichla arnoti'')
***
Ruaha chat (''Myrmecocichla collaris'')
** Genus ''Thamnolaea''
***
Mocking cliff chat, ''Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris''
** 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 (15 species, excluding the white-bellied robin-chat)
* Genus ''
Cichladusa'' –
palm-thrushes (3 species)
* Genus ''
Cercotrichas'' – scrub-robins (10 species)
* Genus ''
Myophonus'',
whistling thrushes
* Genus ''
Copsychus'' –
magpie-robins or shamas (12 species)
* Genus ''
Phoenicurus'' – true redstarts (11 species)
* Genus ''
Enicurus'' –
forktails (7 species)
* Genus ''
Cochoa'' –
cochoas (4 species)
* Genus ''
Brachypteryx'' – (10 species)
* Genus ''
Heinrichia'' – great shortwing
* Genus ''
Leonardina'' – Bagobo babbler
* Genus ''
Oenanthe'' –
wheatears (some 20 species)
Aberrant redstarts, possibly belonging in this subfamily:
* Genus ''
Chaimarrornis'' – white-capped redstart
* Genus ''
Rhyacornis'' (2 species)
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1193805
*