Photo: Alan Manson / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Karoo Chat
Emarginata schlegelii
Karoo Chat (Emarginata schlegelii) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Karoo Chat (Emarginata schlegelii) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 23.3 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 Emarginata
- Species schlegelii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 23.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Karoo 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 uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Karoo Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Karoo Chat (Emarginata schlegelii) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF sw.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 23.3 g, with a wing length of about 9.5 cm and a tail of around 6.6 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 1.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Karoo Chat?
The Karoo Chat is a small bird that weighs around 23.3 g.
Where does the Karoo Chat live?
The Karoo Chat is found across Africa with a range covering AF sw, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Karoo Chat belong to?
The Karoo Chat (Emarginata schlegelii) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Karoo Chat eat?
The Karoo Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Karoo Chat migrate?
The Karoo Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Karoo 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 Karoo Chat make?
1 real field recording of the Karoo Chat — 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 Karoo Chat's range?
The Karoo Chat has a mapped global range of about 1.1 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.