Buff-streaked Chat

Saxicola bifasciata

Male Buff-streaked Chat
Photo by safariranger
Lisbon Falls, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Saxicola bifasciatus
Oenanthe bifasciata
Campicoloides bifasciatus

Identification

Length 16-17 cm, mass about 33 g. Adult male: The face, throat and upper breast are black. Distinctive buff eyebrows extend to the forehead and down the sides of the neck to the orange-buff lower breast and belly. The scapulars and rump are also buff. The crown, nape, mantle and back are dark brown. Adult female: The upperparts are brown with dark streaks. The pale eyebrow is indistinct, the rump is buff, and the tail black. The underparts are cinnamon-buff with darker streaks on the breast. Juvenile: Similar to the female, but spotted above and scaled below.

Distribution

Southern Africa: Highlands of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Immature Buff-streaked Chat
Photo by wilsenach
Marakele National Park, South Africa.

Taxonomy

The taxonomic status of this species is uncertain; it has been placed in Saxicola, Oenanthe and Campicoloides recently (Lepage, 2007).

The species is monotypic.

Habitat

Rocky slopes in highland grassland.

Behaviour

Solitary, in pairs, or in small groups. Food is mainly invertebrates, but includes seeds and (rarely) nectar. Prey is taken both on the ground and aerially, often from a perch on a rock.

Breeding: A co-operative breeder, young birds help their parents feed subsequent broods. Nests are built mainly by the female at the base of a rock or in a crevice. Eggs (usually 3) are laid September to February.

References

Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ & Ryan PG (eds) 2005. Robert's Birds of Southern Africa, 7th edition. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. ISBN 0620340533

Lepage D. 2007. Avibase. Search for "Buff-streaked Chat" downloaded 16 November 2007.

External Links

Search for photos of Buff-streaked Chat in the gallery