The mountain wheatear or mountain chat (''Myrmecocichla monticola'') is a small insectivorous passerine bird that is endemic to southwestern Africa.

Range and habitat

This

non-migratory Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by ...

wheatear is resident in mountainous and rocky habitats in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and southernmost Angola.

Description

Mountain wheatear is 18–20 cm long, and like other wheatears, it has a distinctive tail pattern, with a white rump and outer tail feathers. Its legs and pointed bill are black. The male is very variable in plumage, although the tail pattern and a white shoulder patch are always present. A white and black bird. The body plumage varies from pale grey to almost black, and it may or may not have a white crown to the head. The female is entirely dark brown apart from the white rump and outer tail.

Habits

The mountain wheatear's song is a clear melodic whistle interspersed with harsh chatters. It is monogamous and nests on the ground amongst rocks, laying 2-4 white eggs. It eats insects and berries.

Taxonomy

Along with other chats, this species was formerly classed as a member of the

thrush ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...

family Turdidae, but based on studies published in 2004 and 2010, the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is now preferred. The mountain wheatear was formerly placed in the genus '' Oenanthe''.

Molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

studies published in 2010 and 2012 found that the species was not closely related to the other members of ''Oenanthe'' and instead was genetically similar to the chats in the genus ''

Myrmecocichla ''Myrmecocichla'' is a genus of passerine birds in the Old World chat and flycatcher family Muscicapidae. The genus contains the following species: * Sooty chat (''Myrmecocichla nigra'') * Anteater chat (''Myrmecocichla aethiops'') * Congo m ...

''. The species was therefore assigned to ''Myrmecocichla''.

Gallery

Mountain wheatear or mountain chat - female, Oenanthe monticola, at Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa (15187893041).jpg, Mountain wheatear or mountain chat - male, Oenanthe monticola, at Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa (15004138039).jpg, Mountain wheatear or mountain chat - male, Oenanthe monticola, at Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa (14812373601).jpg,

References

*Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton, ''SASOL Birds of Southern Africa'' (Struik 2002)

External links

Xeno-canto: audio recordings of the mountain wheatear
* Mountain chat
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
{{Taxonbar, from=Q672928 Myrmecocichla Wheatears Birds of Southern Africa Birds described in 1818 Taxa named by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot