Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Cladus: Telluraves
Cladus: Australaves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Passeri
Infraordo: Passerida
Superfamilia: Muscicapoidea
Familia: Muscicapidae
Genus: Melaenornis
Species: Melaenornis infuscatus
Subspecies: M. i. benguellensis – M. i. infuscatus – M. i. namaquensis – M. i. placidus – M. i. seimundi
Name
Melaenornis infuscatus (A. Smith, 1839)
Synonyms
Saxicola infuscata (protonym)
Bradornis infuscatus
References
Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa pl.28
Vernacular names
dansk: Drosselfluesnapper
Deutsch: Drosselschnäpper
English: Brown Chat Flycatcher
español: Papamoscas Tarabilla
français: Gobemouche traquet
The chat flycatcher (Melaenornis infuscatus) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that is native to southern Africa.
Taxonomy
The chat flycatcher was previously placed in the genus Bradornis but was moved to Melaenornis based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010.[2][3]
Description
The chat flycatcher is an earthy light reddish-brown in colour and has large, pale wing edges. Juvenile flycatchers have speckled feathers. The flycatcher produces a song that consists of a "cher cher chirrup" sound.[4] The bird is about twenty centimeters long.[4]
Habitat
The chat flycatcher is found in South Africa, Botswana and Angola.[1] The flycatcher frequently perches on low-lying bushes and telephone wires.[4] Its natural habitat is dry savanna. However, it is also found in shrublands and woodlands throughout its range.[5]
Behavior
Diet
The chat flycatcher hunts insects.[4] Specifically, it consumes termites, ants and beetles. The flycatcher also consumes small reptiles such as Typhlops, a genus of blind snakes.[5]
Reproduction
The chat flycatcher lays eggs year round. However, egg laying is believed to peak from September to March, a period of increased rainfall in the habitat of the flycatcher. The flycatcher lays an average of two to three eggs.[5] The chat flycatcher nests above ground in shrubs and thickets.[6] The mother incubates the eggs for approximately two weeks, while the father is responsible for ensuring that the female is fed. After the eggs hatch, the hatchlings are raised and fed by their parents. They tend to leave the nest anywhere from eleven to fourteen days after hatching.[5]
Conservation status
The chat flycatcher is categorized as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The reasoning for this ranking includes the flycatcher's large range and relatively stable population trends.[1]
References
BirdLife International (2012). "Agricola infuscatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
Sangster, G.; Alström, P.; Forsmark, E.; Olsson, U. (2010). "Multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of Old World chats and flycatchers reveals extensive paraphyly at family, subfamily and genus level (Aves: Muscicapidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 57 (1): 380–392. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.07.008. PMID 20656044.
Gill, Frank; Donsker, David (eds.). "Chats, Old World flycatchers". World Bird List Version 6.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
Newman, Kenneth (2002). Newman's Birds of Southern Africa. Struik. p. 384. ISBN 9781868727353.
"Bradornis infuscatus (Chat flycatcher)". Biodiversity Explorer. Iziko Museums of Cape Town. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
Dean, Richard (2004). Nomadic Desert Birds. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 138. ISBN 9783540403937.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/"
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
