Photo: Lip Kee Yap / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rüppell’s Black Chat
Myrmecocichla melaena
Rüppell's Black Chat (Myrmecocichla melaena) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
The Rüppell’s Black Chat (Myrmecocichla melaena) 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 melaena
Quick facts
- Weight
- 33.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rüppell’s Black Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of rocky terrain, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Rüppell’s Black Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Rüppell’s Black Chat (Myrmecocichla melaena) is a member of the Muscicapidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF montane Eritrea and Ethiopia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 33.1 g, with a wing length of about 8.9 cm and a tail of around 6.1 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 203,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rüppell’s Black Chat?
The Rüppell’s Black Chat is a small bird that weighs around 33.1 g.
Where does the Rüppell’s Black Chat live?
The Rüppell’s Black Chat is found across Africa with a range covering AF montane Eritrea and Ethiopia, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Rüppell’s Black Chat belong to?
The Rüppell’s Black Chat (Myrmecocichla melaena) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Rüppell’s Black Chat eat?
The Rüppell’s Black Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rüppell’s Black Chat migrate?
The Rüppell’s Black Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Rüppell’s Black 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 Rüppell’s Black Chat make?
1 real field recording of the Rüppell’s Black 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 Rüppell’s Black Chat's range?
The Rüppell’s Black Chat has a mapped global range of about 203,000 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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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.