Photo: Jorge Lascar / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Moorland Chat
Pinarochroa sordida
Moorland Chat (Pinarochroa sordida) — 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 Moorland Chat (Pinarochroa sordida) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 21 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 Pinarochroa
- Species sordida
Quick facts
- Weight
- 21 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Moorland Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Moorland Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Moorland Chat (Pinarochroa sordida) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 21 g, with a wing length of about 7.5 cm and a tail of around 5.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 188,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Moorland Chat?
The Moorland Chat is a small bird that weighs around 21 g.
Where does the Moorland Chat live?
The Moorland Chat is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Moorland Chat belong to?
The Moorland Chat (Pinarochroa sordida) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Moorland Chat eat?
The Moorland Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Moorland Chat migrate?
The Moorland Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Moorland 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 Moorland Chat make?
1 real field recording of the Moorland 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 Moorland Chat's range?
The Moorland Chat has a mapped global range of about 188,000 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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