Rüppell's Black Chat (Myrmecocichla melaena)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Rüppell's Black Chat

Myrmecocichla melaena (Rüppell, 1837)

33 gWeight

Rüppell's black chat (Myrmecocichla melaena) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Ethiopia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: Ethiopia

Rüppell's Black Chat has been recorded at 10 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Debre Libanos – Lodge and Portuguese BridgeEthiopia213 records
  2. Debre Libanos MonasteryEthiopia104 records
  3. Melka GhebduEthiopia15 records
More places
  1. Sululta PlainEthiopia14 records
  2. Bale Mts – Dinsho Park HQEthiopia3 records
  3. Addis Ababa – Ghion HotelEthiopia3 records
  4. Awash NP – southern sectionEthiopia2 records
  5. Awash NPEthiopia2 records
  6. Lake ChelelekaEthiopia1 record
  7. Wondo GenetEthiopia1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

Ethiopia

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

Rüppell's black chat (Myrmecocichla melaena) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in the Ethiopian Highlands of Eritrea and Ethiopia from 1,800 to 2,700 metres elevation.

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

Questions

How big is the Rüppell's Black Chat?

The Rüppell's Black Chat weighs around 33 g.

Where does the Rüppell's Black Chat live?

Its breeding range: Africa: montane Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is most often recorded in Ethiopia.

When is the best time to see the Rüppell's Black Chat?

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

Is the Rüppell's Black Chat endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Rüppell's Black Chat as Least Concern.

What does the Rüppell's Black Chat eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Rüppell's Black Chat in?

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

At a glance

Weight
33 g
Habitat
Rocky terrain
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
89 mm
Tail
61 mm
Bill
17 mm
Tarsus
27 mm

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

Range

Africa: montane Eritrea and Ethiopia

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

Rüppell's Black Chat

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

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