Ant-eating Chat (Myrmecocichla formicivora)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Ant-eating Chat

Myrmecocichla formicivora (Wilkes, 1817)

42 gWeight

The ant-eating chat or southern anteater-chat (Myrmecocichla formicivora) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Ant-eating Chat has been recorded at 59 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Suikerbosrand NRSouth Africa364 records
  2. Benfontein NRSouth Africa298 records
  3. Rietvlei NRSouth Africa293 records
More places
  1. Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa285 records
  2. Karoo NPSouth Africa146 records
  3. Wakkerstroom Wetland NRSouth Africa80 records
  4. Etosha NP – Okaukuejo CampNamibia46 records
  5. Madikwe GRSouth Africa45 records
  6. Augrabies Falls NPSouth Africa39 records
  7. Etosha NP – Namutoni CampNamibia37 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaNamibiaBotswanaLesotho

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The ant-eating chat or southern anteater-chat (Myrmecocichla formicivora) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Ant-eating Chat?

The Ant-eating Chat weighs around 42 g.

Where does the Ant-eating Chat live?

Its breeding range: Africa: southern Angola, Namibia and Botswana to southern South Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.

When is the best time to see the Ant-eating Chat?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Ant-eating Chat endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Ant-eating Chat as Least Concern.

What does the Ant-eating Chat eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Ant-eating Chat in?

It belongs to the family Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
42 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
96 mm
Tail
57 mm
Bill
22 mm
Tarsus
33 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: southern Angola, Namibia and Botswana to southern South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Chats, Old World Flycatchers Muscicapidae
Genus
Myrmecocichla

Other birds in the genus Myrmecocichla

Anteater ChatAnteater ChatMyrmecocichla aethiopsCongo Moor ChatCongo Moor ChatMyrmecocichla tholloniMountain ChatMountain ChatMyrmecocichla monticolaSooty ChatSooty ChatMyrmecocichla nigraRüppell's Black ChatRüppell's Black ChatMyrmecocichla melaenaRuaha ChatRuaha ChatMyrmecocichla collarisArnot's ChatArnot's ChatMyrmecocichla arnottiWhite-tailed AletheWhite-tailed AletheAlethe diademataFire-crested AletheFire-crested AletheAlethe castaneaKaroo Scrub RobinKaroo Scrub RobinTychaedon coryphoeus
Ant-eating Chat

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Didier Buysse. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages