Photo: Imran Shah from Islamabad, Pakistan / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey Bush Chat
Saxicola ferreus
Grey Bush Chat (Saxicola ferreus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grey Bush Chat (Saxicola ferreus) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 14.7 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 Saxicola
- Species ferreus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey Bush Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Grey Bush Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grey Bush Chat (Saxicola ferreus) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Himalayas to c, s China and c Vietnam.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.7 g, with a wing length of about 6.6 cm and a tail of around 5.9 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 3.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey Bush Chat?
The Grey Bush Chat is a very small bird that weighs around 14.7 g.
Where does the Grey Bush Chat live?
The Grey Bush Chat is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Himalayas to c, s China and c Vietnam, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Grey Bush Chat belong to?
The Grey Bush Chat (Saxicola ferreus) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Grey Bush Chat eat?
The Grey Bush Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Grey Bush Chat migrate?
The Grey Bush Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grey Bush Chat 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 Grey Bush Chat make?
1 real field recording of the Grey Bush Chat — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Grey Bush Chat's range?
The Grey Bush Chat has a mapped global range of about 3.4 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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Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.