Tractrac Chat
Emarginata tractrac (Wilkes, 1817)
14–15 cmLength21 gWeight
The tractrac chat (Emarginata tractrac) is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
Busiest months: September and December · Most records: Namibia, South Africa, Angola
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: September and December · Most records: Namibia, South Africa, Angola
Tractrac Chat has been recorded at 12 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Swakopmund Salt WorksNamibia140 records
- Spitzkoppe Nature ReserveNamibia120 records
- Karoo NPSouth Africa37 records
More places
- Swakop River MouthNamibia11 records
- Augrabies Falls NPSouth Africa6 records
- Namibgrens Guest FarmNamibia4 records
- Walvis Bay – Lagoon PromenadeNamibia4 records
- Ondudu LodgeNamibia3 records
- Walvis Bay Salt PansNamibia2 records
- Tchincombe Mission FarmAngola1 record
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 tractrac chat (Emarginata tractrac) is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is a common resident breeder in southernmost Angola, western Namibia and western South Africa.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Tractrac Chat?
The Tractrac Chat is about 14–15 cm long and weighs around 21 g.
Where does the Tractrac Chat live?
Its breeding range: Africa: southwestern. It is most often recorded in Namibia, South Africa and Angola.
When is the best time to see the Tractrac Chat?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September and December (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Tractrac Chat endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Tractrac Chat as Least Concern.
What does the Tractrac Chat eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Tractrac Chat in?
It belongs to the family Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 14–15 cm
- Weight
- 21 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 88 mm
- Tail
- 52 mm
- Bill
- 19 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
- Emarginata
Other birds in the genus Emarginata
Karoo ChatEmarginata schlegelii
Sickle-winged ChatEmarginata sinuata
White-tailed AletheAlethe diademata
Fire-crested AletheAlethe castanea
Karoo Scrub RobinTychaedon coryphoeus
Brown Scrub RobinTychaedon signata
Forest Scrub RobinTychaedon leucosticta
Bearded Scrub RobinTychaedon quadrivirgata
Miombo Scrub RobinTychaedon barbata
Kalahari Scrub RobinCercotrichas paena
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Jerry Oldenettel. ↗
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