Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dkeats/page3/ / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mountain Chat
Myrmecocichla monticola
Mountain Chat (Myrmecocichla monticola) — 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 Mountain Chat (Myrmecocichla monticola) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 33.1 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 monticola
Quick facts
- Weight
- 33.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Mountain 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 Mountain Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Mountain Chat (Myrmecocichla monticola) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF sw.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 33.1 g, with a wing length of about 10.8 cm and a tail of around 7.3 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 1.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Mountain Chat?
The Mountain Chat is a small bird that weighs around 33.1 g.
Where does the Mountain Chat live?
The Mountain Chat is found across Africa with a range covering AF sw, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Mountain Chat belong to?
The Mountain Chat (Myrmecocichla monticola) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Mountain Chat eat?
The Mountain Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Mountain Chat migrate?
The Mountain Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Mountain 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 Mountain Chat make?
1 real field recording of the Mountain Chat — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Mountain Chat's range?
The Mountain Chat has a mapped global range of about 1.4 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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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.