Bird Album
Mountain Chat
Myrmecocichla monticola (Vieillot, 1818)
33 gWeight
The mountain chat or mountain wheatear (Myrmecocichla monticola) is a small insectivorous passerine bird that is endemic to southwestern Africa.
Busiest months: November · Most records: Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: November · Most records: Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho
Mountain Chat has been recorded at 38 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Spitzkoppe Nature ReserveNamibia530 records
- Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa519 records
- Suikerbosrand NRSouth Africa414 records
More places
- Avis DamNamibia373 records
- Ondudu LodgeNamibia292 records
- Daan Viljoen Game ReserveNamibia213 records
- Ai Aiba Rock Painting LodgeNamibia208 records
- Karoo NPSouth Africa197 records
- Wakkerstroom areaSouth Africa175 records
- Namibgrens Guest FarmNamibia142 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 mountain chat or mountain wheatear (Myrmecocichla monticola) is a small insectivorous passerine bird that is endemic to southwestern Africa.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Mountain Chat?
The Mountain Chat weighs around 33 g.
Where does the Mountain Chat live?
Its breeding range: Africa: southwestern. It is most often recorded in Namibia, South Africa and Lesotho.
When is the best time to see the Mountain Chat?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Mountain Chat endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Mountain Chat as Least Concern.
What does the Mountain Chat eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Mountain Chat in?
It belongs to the family Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Weight
- 33 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 108 mm
- Tail
- 73 mm
- Bill
- 22 mm
- Tarsus
- 30 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: southwestern
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 ChatMyrmecocichla aethiops
Congo Moor ChatMyrmecocichla tholloni
Ant-eating ChatMyrmecocichla formicivora
Sooty ChatMyrmecocichla nigra
Rüppell's Black ChatMyrmecocichla melaena
Ruaha ChatMyrmecocichla collaris
Arnot's ChatMyrmecocichla arnotti
White-tailed AletheAlethe diademata
Fire-crested AletheAlethe castanea
Karoo Scrub RobinTychaedon coryphoeus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Gigi Laidler. ↗
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