Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown-chested Alethe
Chamaetylas poliocephala
Brown-chested Alethe (Chamaetylas poliocephala) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown-chested Alethe (Chamaetylas poliocephala) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 32.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Chamaetylas
- Species poliocephala
Quick facts
- Weight
- 32.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown-chested Alethe is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Brown-chested Alethe is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown-chested Alethe (Chamaetylas poliocephala) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, c.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 32.4 g, with a wing length of about 8.7 cm and a tail of around 5.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown-chested Alethe?
The Brown-chested Alethe is a small bird that weighs around 32.4 g.
Where does the Brown-chested Alethe live?
The Brown-chested Alethe is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, c, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Brown-chested Alethe belong to?
The Brown-chested Alethe (Chamaetylas poliocephala) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Brown-chested Alethe eat?
The Brown-chested Alethe is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown-chested Alethe migrate?
The Brown-chested Alethe is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown-chested Alethe endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Brown-chested Alethe make?
1 real field recording of the Brown-chested Alethe — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Brown-chested Alethe's range?
The Brown-chested Alethe has a mapped global range of about 1.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.