Anteater Chat (Myrmecocichla aethiops)
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Anteater Chat

Myrmecocichla aethiops Cabanis, 1851

57 gWeight

The anteater chat or northern anteater-chat (Myrmecocichla aethiops) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.

Busiest months: July–August · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Anteater Chat has been recorded at 75 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Lake Nakuru NPKenya1,512 records
  2. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania1,116 records
  3. Maasai Mara NRKenya236 records
More places
  1. Lake NaivashaKenya201 records
  2. Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya174 records
  3. Lewa Wildlife ConservancyKenya160 records
  4. Ol Pejeta ConservancyKenya143 records
  5. Maasai Mara NR – Eastern SectionKenya120 records
  6. Lake Nakuru NP – Lake Nakuru LodgeKenya119 records
  7. Maasai Mara NR – Central sectionKenya100 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaTanzaniaSenegalNigeriaCameroonNigerGambiaMauritania

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 anteater chat or northern anteater-chat (Myrmecocichla aethiops) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It range extends across the Sahel and the East African montane forests. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.

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

Questions

How big is the Anteater Chat?

The Anteater Chat weighs around 57 g.

Where does the Anteater Chat live?

Its breeding range: Africa: eastern, central, western. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Tanzania and Senegal.

When is the best time to see the Anteater Chat?

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

Is the Anteater Chat endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Anteater Chat as Least Concern.

What does the Anteater Chat eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Anteater Chat in?

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

At a glance

Weight
57 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
112 mm
Tail
73 mm
Bill
23 mm
Tarsus
35 mm

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

Range

Africa: eastern, central, western

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

Congo Moor ChatCongo Moor ChatMyrmecocichla tholloniAnt-eating ChatAnt-eating ChatMyrmecocichla formicivoraMountain 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
Anteater Chat

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

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