Photo by Ralph Timmermann
Nossob Valley, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa, November 2011
Alternative name: Ant-eating Chat
- Myrmecocichla formicivora
Identification
Length 17–18 cm (6¾-7 in), mass 45-50 g. A dark grassland chat with a distinctive upright stance. It has relatively long legs which accentuate a short tail.
Adult male:
- Very dark brown overall plumage
- Small white carpal patch that is often not visible when perched.
- In flight the wings show white windows.
- Black bill, legs and feet
- Dark brown eyes
Adult female: Similar to the male but without the white carpal patches.
Distribution
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana and South Africa; limited distribution in Lesotho and western Swaziland.
Taxonomy
This is either a monotypic species[1] or has 3 subspecies[2].
- M. f. formicivora:
- Southern and central South Africa
- M. f. minor:
- Namibia, Botswana and northern and north-western South Africa; smaller and darker below than the nominate race
- M. f. orestes:
- Grasslands of Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Lesotho and western Swaziland; paler than the nominate race and has greyer upperparts.
Habitat
Grasslands, shrublands, and open savanna.
Behaviour
Solitary, in pairs, or in small groups. Roosts in the nest burrow.
Action
Flies with a rapid wingbeat; sometimes hovers.
Diet
Forages on the ground for invertebrates (mainly ants and termites); some fruit is also eaten.
Breeding
Nests at the end of a burrow (35-150 cm long) which is excavated by both male and female. Two to seven eggs are laid in summer (August to March). Nestlings are fed by both parents. Parasitised by the Greater Honeyguide.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Southern Anteater Chat. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Southern_Anteater_Chat
