Birds Guide

Chats
European Robin
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Passeriformes   Family: Muscicapidae   Subfamily: Saxicolinae
Genera
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 in the subfamily Saxicolinae.

They come from a large number of genera.

Most northern species are strong migrants.

Species are:

• Family: Muscicapidae
  • Subfamily: Saxicolinae
    • Bluethroat, Luscinia svecica
      Siberian Rubythroat, Luscinia calliope
      Rufous-tailed Robin, Luscinia sibilans
      Thrush Nightingale, Luscinia luscinia
      Nightingale, Luscinia megarhynchos
      Indian Blue Robin, Luscinia brunneus
      White-tailed Rubythroat, Luscinia pectoralis
      Rufous-headed Robin, Luscinia ruficeps
      Black-throated Blue Robin, Luscinia obscura
      Firethroat, Luscinia pectardens
      Siberian Blue Robin, Luscinia cyane
      Red-flanked Bluetail, Tarsiger cyanurus
      Golden Bush-Robin, Tarsiger chrysaeus
      White-browed Bush-Robin, Tarsiger indicus
      Rufous-breasted Bush-Robin, Tarsiger hyperythrus
      Collared Bush-Robin, Tarsiger johnstoniae
      European Robin, Erithacus rubecula
      Japanese Robin, Erithacus akahige
      Ryukyu Robin, Erithacus komadori
      White-throated Robin, Irania gutturalis
      Whinchat, Saxicola rubetra
      Stoliczka's Bushchat or White-browed Bushchat, Saxicola macrorhyncha
      Hodgson's Bushchat or White-throated Bushchat, Saxicola insignis
      Fuerteventura Chat or Canary Island Stonechat, Saxicola dacotiae
      European Stonechat, Saxicola rubicola (previously S. torquata rubicola)
      Siberian Stonechat or Asian Stonechat, Saxicola maura (previously S. torquata maura)
      African Stonechat, Saxicola torquata
      Réunion Stonechat, Saxicola tectes
      White-tailed Stonechat, Saxicola leucura
      Pied Bushchat, Saxicola caprata
      Jerdon's Bushchat, Saxicola jerdoni
      Grey Bushchat, Saxicola ferrea
      White-bellied Bushchat or Timor Bushchat, Saxicola gutturalis
      Buff-streaked Bushchat, Saxicola bifasciata
      White-starred Robin, Pogonocichla stellata
      Swynnerton's Robin, Swynnertonia swynnertoni
      Forest Robin, Stiphrornis erythrothorax
      Angola Cave-Chat, Xenocopsychus ansorgei
      Indian Robin, Saxicoloides fulicata
      White-tailed Robin, Cinclidium leucurum
      Sunda Robin, Cinclidium diana
      Blue-fronted Robin, Cinclidium frontale
      Grandala, Grandala coelicolor
      Herero Chat, Namibornis herero
      Sicklewing 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
      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
      Mocking Cliff-Chat, Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
      White-winged Cliff-Chat, Thamnolaea semirufa
      Boulder Chat Pinarornis plumosus

Other Saxicolini species are dealt with under the following articles:

• Genus Oenanthe, wheatears
• Genus Phoenicurus redstarts.
• Genus Sheppardia, akalats
• Genus Cossypha, robin-chats
• Genus Cichladusa, palm-thrushes
• Genus Cercotrichas, scrub-robins, including Rufous Bush Robin
• Genera Copsychus and Trichixos, magpie-robins and sharmas
• Genus Enicurus, forktails
• Genus Cochoa, cochoas