The mountain wheatear or mountain chat (''Myrmecocichla monticola'') is a small insectivorous

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by th ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

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 The wheatears are passerine birds of the genus ''Oenanthe''. They were formerly considered to be members of the Thrush (bird), thrush family, Turdidae, but are now more commonly placed in the Old World flycatcher, flycatcher family, Muscicapid ...

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 family Turdidae, but based on studies published in 2004 and 2010, the

Old World flycatcher The Old World flycatchers are a large family, the Muscicapidae, of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia), with the exception of several vagrants and two species, Bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica)'' and Northe ...

family Muscicapidae is now preferred. The mountain wheatear was formerly placed in the genus '' Oenanthe''. Molecular phylogenetic 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