Mocking Cliff Chat (Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Mocking Cliff Chat

Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris (Lafresnaye, 1836)

19–21 cmLength40 gWeight

The mocking cliff chat, mocking chat or cliff chat, (Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris) is a species of chat in the family Muscicapidae which occurs in rocky habitats in much of eastern Sub-Saharan Africa.

Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Ghana

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Ghana

Mocking Cliff Chat has been recorded at 159 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 17 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Shai Hills Resource ReserveGhana386 records
  2. Lake Nakuru NPKenya386 records
  3. Suikerbosrand NRSouth Africa261 records
More places
  1. Amurum Forest ReserveNigeria238 records
  2. Lake Baringo – Inshore Cliffs and surroundsKenya222 records
  3. Shai Hills RR – Kandra RouteGhana186 records
  4. Lake BaringoKenya152 records
  5. Kruger NP – Olifants CampSouth Africa123 records
  6. Angama LodgeKenya110 records
  7. Kruger NP – Mopani CampSouth Africa101 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaKenyaGhanaEthiopiaTanzaniaNigeriaZimbabweEswatini

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 mocking cliff chat, mocking chat or cliff chat, (Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris) is a species of chat in the family Muscicapidae which occurs in rocky habitats in much of eastern Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only species placed in the genus Thamnolaea.

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

Questions

How big is the Mocking Cliff Chat?

The Mocking Cliff Chat is about 19–21 cm long and weighs around 40 g.

Where does the Mocking Cliff Chat live?

Its breeding range: Africa: west-central, central, southern. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Ghana.

Is the Mocking Cliff Chat endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Mocking Cliff Chat as Least Concern.

What does the Mocking Cliff Chat eat?

Main food: Fruit.

What family is the Mocking Cliff Chat in?

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

At a glance

Length
19–21 cm
Weight
40 g
Habitat
Rocky terrain
Diet
Fruit
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
112 mm
Tail
91 mm
Bill
22 mm
Tarsus
30 mm

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

Range

Africa: west-central, central, southern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

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

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Mocking Cliff Chat

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

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