Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Arnot’s Chat
Myrmecocichla arnotti
Arnot's Chat (Myrmecocichla arnotti) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Arnot’s Chat (Myrmecocichla arnotti) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 39.6 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 Myrmecocichla
- Species arnotti
Quick facts
- Weight
- 39.6 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 Arnot’s Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Arnot’s Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Arnot’s Chat (Myrmecocichla arnotti) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF e Tanzania to ne South Africa. Also Angola.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 39.6 g, with a wing length of about 10.1 cm and a tail of around 7.2 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 3.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Arnot’s Chat?
The Arnot’s Chat is a small bird that weighs around 39.6 g.
Where does the Arnot’s Chat live?
The Arnot’s Chat is found across Africa with a range covering AF e Tanzania to ne South Africa. Also Angola, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Arnot’s Chat belong to?
The Arnot’s Chat (Myrmecocichla arnotti) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Arnot’s Chat eat?
The Arnot’s Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Arnot’s Chat migrate?
The Arnot’s Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Arnot’s 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 Arnot’s Chat make?
1 real field recording of the Arnot’s 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 Arnot’s Chat's range?
The Arnot’s Chat has a mapped global range of about 3.1 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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Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.