'Chats' (formerly sometimes known as Chat-thrushes) are a group of small
Old World insectivorous
birds formerly classed as members of the
thrush family Turdidae, but now considered
Old World flycatchers.
This name is normally applied to the robust ground-feeding species found in
Europe and
Asia; these make up most of the
subfamily 'Saxicolinae'.
There are a large number of genera.
Most northern species are strong
migrants.
Species in taxonomic order
★ 'Subfamily Saxicolinae'
★
★ 'Genus ''
Tarsiger''' - bush-robins
★
★
★
Red-flanked Bluetail or Orange-flanked Bush-robin, ''Tarsiger cyanurus''
★
★
★
Golden Bush-robin, ''Tarsiger chrysaeus''
★
★
★
White-browed Bush-robin, ''Tarsiger indicus''
★
★
★
Rufous-breasted Bush-robin, ''Tarsiger hyperythrus''
★
★
★
Collared Bush-robin, ''Tarsiger johnstoniae''
★
★ 'Genus ''
Luscinia''' (11 species) -
paraphyletic
★
★ 'Genus ''
Erithacus''' (3-4 species) -
paraphyletic
★
★ 'Genus ''
Irania''' - White-throated Robin
★
★ 'Genus ''
Saxicola''' - bushchats and stonechats (c.15 species)
★
★ 'Genus ''
Pogonocichla'''
★
★
★
White-starred Robin, ''Pogonocichla stellata''
★
★ 'Genus ''
Swynnertonia'''
★
★
★
Swynnerton's Robin, ''Swynnertonia swynnertoni''
★
★ 'Genus ''
Stiphrornis''' - Forest Robin
★
★ 'Genus ''
Xenocopsychus'''
★
★
★
Angola Cave-chat, ''Xenocopsychus ansorgei''
★
★ 'Genus ''
Saxicoloides''' - Indian Robin
★
★ 'Genus ''
Cinclidium''
★
★
★
White-tailed Robin, ''Cinclidium leucurum''
★
★
★
Sunda Robin, ''Cinclidium diana''
★
★
★
Blue-fronted Robin, ''Cinclidium frontale''
★
★ 'Genus ''
Grandala'''
★
★
★
Grandala, ''Grandala coelicolor''
★
★ 'Genus ''
Namibornis'''
★
★
★
Herero Chat, ''Namibornis herero''
★
★ 'Genus ''
Cercomela'''
★
★
★
Sickle-winged Chat, ''Cercomela sinuata''
★
★
★
Karoo Chat, ''Cercomela schlegelii''
★
★
★
Tractrac Chat, ''Cercomela tractrac''
★
★
★
Familiar Chat, ''Cercomela familiaris''
★
★
★
Brown-tailed Chat, ''Cercomela scotocerca''
★
★
★
Indian Chat, ''Cercomela fusca''
★
★
★
Sombre Chat, ''Cercomela dubia''
★
★
★
Blackstart, ''Cercomela melanura''
★
★
★
Moorland Chat, ''Cercomela sordida''
★
★ 'Genus ''
Myrmecocichla'''
★
★
★
Congo Moorchat, ''Myrmecocichla tholloni''
★
★
★
Northern Anteater-chat, ''Myrmecocichla aethiops''
★
★
★
Southern Anteater-chat, ''Myrmecocichla formicivora''
★
★
★
Sooty Chat, ''Myrmecocichla nigra''
★
★
★
Rueppell's Chat, ''Myrmecocichla melaena''
★
★
★
White-fronted Black-chat, ''Myrmecocichla albifrons''
★
★
★
White-headed Black-chat, ''Myrmecocichla arnotti''
★
★ 'Genus ''
Thamnolaea''' - cliff chats
★
★
★
Mocking Cliff-chat, ''Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris''
★
★
★
White-winged Cliff-chat, ''Thamnolaea semirufa''
★
★ 'Genus ''
Pinarornis'''
★
★
★
Boulder Chat ''Pinarornis plumosus''
Saxicolinae genera not usually called "chats" are:
★ 'Genus ''
Sheppardia''' -
akalats (9 species)
★ 'Genus ''
Cossyphicula''' - White-bellied Robin-chat - may belong in ''Cossypha''
★ 'Genus ''
Cossypha''' -
robin-chats (14 species)
★ 'Genus ''
Cichladusa''' -
palm-thrushes (3 species)
★ 'Genus ''
Cercotrichas''' -
scrub-robins or bush-chats (11 species)
★ 'Genus ''
Copsychus''' -
magpie-robins or shamas (7 species)
★ 'Genus ''
Phoenicurus''' - true
redstarts (11 species)
★ 'Genus ''
Enicurus''' -
forktails (7 species)
★ 'Genus ''
Cochoa''' -
cochoas (4 species)
★ 'Genus ''
Oenanthe''' -
wheatears (some 20 species)
★ 'Genus ''
Trichixos''' - Rufous-tailed Shama
Aberrant
redstarts, possibly belonging in this subfamily:
★ 'Genus ''
Chaimarrornis''' - White-capped Redstart
★ 'Genus ''
Rhyacornis''' (2 species)
★ 'Genus ''
Hodgsonius''' - White-bellied Redstart