Muscicapidae is a large family of small birds restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, take their prey on the wing. The appearance of these birds is very varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls. They vary 10 to 21 cm. Many species are a dull brown in color. Most have broad, flattened, bill, suited to catching insects in flight, although the few ground foraging species typically have finer bills. They live in almost every environment with a suitable supply of trees, from dense forest to open scrub. The more northerly species migrate south in winter, ensuring a continuous diet of insects.
Genus Cercomela
Found: mainly Africa. The typical Cercomela plumage is fairly plain grey or brown upperparts and paler underparts. The tail pattern is often distinctive, and may be useful in distinguishing the African species. The long legs and feet are black and the bill is short and straight. The sexes are similar in plumage.
Blackstart Oenanthe melanura also Cercomela melanura Found: north Africa, southwest Asia
The Blackstart has bluish-gray or gray-brown plumage; black tail.
Image by: 1) Ofer 2) Ps_Jeremy - Isreal 3) sjahanmi - oman
Chat, Moorland Cercomela sordida Found: Africa
The Moorland Chat has grayish-brown upperparts; lighter underparts; short tail; long legs.
Image by: 1, 5) Joseph Mochoge - Eburu Kenya 2) Jorge Lascar - Mt. Kilimanjaro 3) Steve Garvie - Kenya 4) Dave Curtis - Kenya
1) Female 5) Male
Genus Cossypha
The Robin-Chats main diet is insects.
Found in: Africa
Chat, Archer's Robin- Cossypha archeri Found: DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda
Image by: 1) Field Museum 2) Tom Tarrant
Chat,_Blue-shouldered_Robin- Cossypha cyanocampter Found: Africa
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans 2) Esther - Kenya 3) Nik_Borrow - Uganda
Chat, Cape Robin- also Cape Robin Cossypha caffra Found: Africa
The Cape Robin-chat has gray upperparts; black eye patch; white supercilium; orange throat, breast; gray belly.
Image by: 1, 2) Derek Keats 3) Alan Manson - Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
4, 5) Dick Daniels - Johannesburg, South Africa 6, 7) Dick - Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
Chat,_Chorister_Robin- Cossypha dichroa Found: South Africa, Swaziland
The Chorister Robin-Chat has dark upperparts; darker crown, ear-coverts; yellow-orange underparts; no eye-stripe.
Image by: 1) Alan Manson 2) Ian White - South Africa 3) Paul Barnard - South Africa 4, 5) Alan_Manson - South Africa
Chat, Gray-winged Robin- Cossypha polioptera Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Dave Curtis - Kenya 2) Steve Garvie - Kenya
Chat,_Mountain_Robin- Cossypha isabellae Found: Cameroon, Nigeria
Image by: 1) Lee Hunter 2) Nik_Borrow 3) Marcel Holyoak
Chat, Olive-flanked Robin- Cossypha anomala Found: Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia
Image by: 1) Josh Engle / Field Museum - Malawi 2) Marcel Holyoak - Malawi 3) Nik_Borrow - Zambia
Chat, Red-capped Robin- Cossypha natalensis Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 2) Arno Meintjes 3) Derek_Keats - South Africa
Chat,_Ruppell's_Robin- Cossypha semirufa Found: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania
Image by: 1) Francesco Veronesi - Kenya 2) Dave Curtis - Kenya 3) Nik_Borrow - Mount Kenya
Chat, Snowy-crowned Robin- Cossypha niveicapilla Found: Africa
Image by: 1) BS Thurner Hof 2, 4) Sandy Cole - San Diego Zoo 3) Alois Staudacher
Chat, White-browed Robin- Cossypha heuglini Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Joseph Mochage - Kenya 2, 3, 4) DIck Daniels - Tanzania 5, 6, 7) Dick -Kenya
1) Chick
Chat,_White-crowned_ Robin- Cossypha albicapilla also Cossypha albicapillus Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 3 Dick Daniels - San Diego Zoo 2) Dick Daniels - Jacksonville Zoo in Florida 4) Drew_Avery - London Zoo
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Chat,_White-headed_Robin- Cossypha heinrichi Found: Angola, DR Congo
The White-headed Robin-Chat has olive-brown upperparts; white head; rufous-orange rump; gray under-wing; rufous-chestnut underparts.
Image by:
1) Roseline Beudels et. al. 2) Charles_Davies - Angola
Chat,_White-throated_Robin- Cossypha humeralis Found: Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe
Image by: 1) Ian White - South Africa 2) Alan Manson - South Africa 3) Markus - South Africa
Genus Cossyphicula - 1 species
Chat, White-bellied Robin- Cossyphicula roberti Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Lee Hunter
Genus Emarginata
The three species in the genus were previously placed in the genus Cercomela.
Chat, Karoo Emarginata schlegelii also Cercomela schlegelii Found: Africa
The Karoo Chat has gray upperparts; rufous patch behind the eye; black tail with white outer feathers; white underparts; black bill, legs.
Image by: 1, 2) Alan Manson - South Africa 3) Dick Daniels - South Africa near Cape Town
1) Juvenile
Chat,_Sickle-winged Emarginata sinuata also Cercomela sinuata Found: southern Africa
The Sickle-winged Chat has dark gray upperparts; brown wings; rufous patch behind eye; buff-pink tail, rump; off-white underparts; black legs.
Image by: 1, 2) Francesco_Veronesi - South Africa 3, 4) Johann_duPreez
Chat,_Tractrac Emarginata tractrac also Cercomela tractrac Found: Angola, Nambia, South Africa
The Nambia subspecies pale upperparts; gray wings; gray tail markings; white underparts. Southeast from has brown upperparts; blackish flight feathers and tail markings; white underparts.
Image by: 1) Hans_Hillewaert 2) Ian_White - South Africa 3) Nik_Borrow - Namibia 4) Alan_Manson - South Africa 
Genus Enicurus
Found in: southeast Asia
The forktails have a deeply forked tail, mainly black and white plumage. Most have a white forehead.
Forktail,_Black-backed Enicurus immaculatusFound: southeast Asia
The Black-backed Forktail has black mantle, face, crown; white forehead, underparts.mainly black wing with broad white stripe.
Image by: 1) Tareq Uddin Ahmed 2) Yunus_Mony
Forktail,_Chestnut-naped Enicurus ruficapillus Found: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand
The Chestnut-naped Forktail has black upperparts; chestnut nape, rear-crown; black throat; white underparts with mottled breast.
Image by: 1) Patko_Erica 2, 3) Francesco_Veronesi
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Forktail,_Little Enicurus scouleri Found: Asia
The Little Forktail black and white or bluish-black and white plumage.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Hiyashi Haka 4) PJeganathan 5) Robert_tdc_from_Uttarakhand_JEG5387a.jpg){kind=link}
Forktail,_Slaty-backed Enicurus schistaceus Found: southeast Asia, Malaysia
The Slaty-backed Forktail has mainly black upperparts; white wing-bar; black and white banded tail; white rump; white underparts.
Image by: 1) Kannan 2) Alestair Rae 3) drcaesarphotography
Forktail,_Spotted Enicurus maculatus Found: south central Asia
The Spotted Forktail black back with white spots; white forehead fore-crown; broad white wingbar; deeply forked black and white tail.
Image by: 1) Olga007 2) Koshy_Koshy 3) Shrikant_Rao - India
Forktail,_Sunda Enicurus velatus Found: Java and Sumatra (Indonesia)
The Sunda Forktail has dark gray upperparts; white forehead, underparts, rump. Female has more white on forehead than male. Female has brown crown; male is gray.
Image by: 1, 2) Lip_Kee 3) James_Eaton
Forktail,_White-crowned Enicurus leschenaulti Found: southeast Asia, Indonesia
The White-crowned Forktail has mainly black plumage; white fore-crown, parts of wings, tail; white belly. Juvenile lacks white on head.
Image by: 1) Ron_Knight 2) Patko Erica 3) Hanifridz
Genus Myrmecocichla Also known as Thamnolaea
Found in: Africa
Chat,_Congo_Moor- Myrmecocichla tholloni Found: Angola, DR Congo, Gabon
Image by: 1) brun-x 2, 3) Maans_Booysen - Angola
Chat,_Northern_Anteater- also Anteater-Chat Myrmecocichla aethiops Found: central Africa
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Dick Daniels 4) Sergey_Yeliseev
Chat,_Ruaha Myrmecocichla collaris Found: Burundi , Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia
The Ruaha Chat was formerly considered a subspecies of the Arnott' Chat (White-headed Chat).
Image by:
1) Alexander Yates - Rwanda 2) Brendan_Ryan - Uganda
Chat, Ruppell's Black- Myrmecocichla melaena Found: Eritrea, Ethiopia
Image by: 1) Lip Kee 2) Nik_Borrow - Ethiopia
Chat, Sooty Myrmecocichla nigra Found: Africa
The male Sooty Chat has mainly black plumage; white wing patch which may be hidden. Female has dark brown plumage; white wing patch which may be hidden.
Image by: 1, 2) Lip Kee Yap - Masai Mara, Kenya 3) Steve_Garvie - Kenya 4) Charles_J_Sharp - Uganad_male.jpg){kind=link}
1) Female 2, 3) Male
Chat, Southern Anteater- Myrmecocichla formicivora Found: southern Africa
Derek Keats- South Africa 2) Ian White 3) Alistair Rae 4) Brendan_Ryan - South Africa
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male
Chat,_White-fronted_Black- Myrmecocichla albifrons Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Nigel Voaden 2) Allan_Hopkins - Gambia 3, 4) Nik_Borrow - Ethiopia
Chat,_White-headed_Black- Also Arnot's Chat Myrmecocichla arnotti Found: Africa
The male White-headed Black-chat has mainly black plumage; white crown; white wing patch. Female similar with black cap; white throat, neck.
Image by: 1) Nrg800 2) Francesco_Veronesi - Namibia 3) Lip Kee - Botawana 4) Derek_Keats - Zimbabwe
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2) Female 4 - 6) Male
Genus Namibornis - 1 species
Chat, Herero Namibornis herero Found: Angola, Nambia
Image by: 1) Ian White - Namibia 2) Jerry Oldenettel - Nambia
Genus Pinarornis - 1 species
Chat, Boulder Pinarornis plumosus Found: Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe
The Boulder Chat has mainly brownish-black plumage. Female duller than male.
Image by: 1, 2, 4) Derek_Keats - Zimbabwe 3) Ian_White - Botswana.jpg){kind=link}
Genus Saxicola
Found in: Europe, Asia, Africa
Bushchat,_Buff-streaked Saxicola bifasciatus Found: Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland.
Image by: 1, 3, 4) Derek_Keats - South Africa 2) Ian_White - South America
2) Juvenile
Bushchat,_Gray Saxicola ferreus Found: Asia
Image by: 1, 4) Jason_Thompson - Thailand 2, 5) Jerry_Oldenettel - Thailand 3) Imran_Shah - Pakistan 6) Koshy_Koshy.
1 - 3) Female 4 - 6) Male
Bushchat,_Jerdon's Saxicola jerdoni Found: Bangladesh, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand Vietnam
Image by: 1) John Gould 2) Rishikesh_Gogoi - India 3) Gary_Kinard 4) David_Fisher - Myanmar
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male
Bushchat,_Pied Saxicola caprata Found: southern Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia
The male Pied Bushchat has mainly black plumage; white lower-belly, rump; maybe white wing-patch. Female has dull brown plumage, slightly streaked.
Image by: 1) Rose Thumboor 2, 3) Vijay_Ismavel 4) Harvinder Chandigarh - India 5) Yogendra Joshi - India 6) PJeganathan 
male_from_nilgiris_DSC_1123.jpg){kind=link}
1, 2, 3) Female 4, 5, 6) Male
Bushchat,_White-browed also Stolizcka's Bushchat Saxicola macrorhynchus Found: India, Pakistan
Image by: 1) Tarique_Sani 2) Sumeet Moghe - India 3) Subramanya CK 4) Koshy_Koshy
Bushchat,_Timor also White-bellied Bushchat Saxicola gutturalis Found: Lesser Sundas (Indonesia)
Image by: 1) Oki Hidayat 2) Ron_Knight 3) Marcel Holyoak
Bushchat,_White-throated also Hodgson's Bushchat Saxicola insignis Found: Asia
Image by: 1) Mutzel 2, 3) Subramanya - India
1) Adult male (left); juvenile male (right)
Stonechat (European) Saxicola rubicola Found: Europe, Africa
The breeding male Stonechat has black upperparts, head; orange throat, breast; white vent, neck patch. Female has brown upperparts, head; orange underpart.
Image by: 1) Frank_Vassen - Belgium 2) Dixonsej 3) Myosotis Scorpioides - England 4) Causinho -
Spain 5) Hennie_Cuper.jpg){kind=link}
1, 2) Female 3, 4, 5) Male
Stonechat, African Saxicola torquatus Found: Africa
The male African Stonechat has black upperparts, head; white half collar; dark orange-brown breast; white or pale orange belly. Female has brown upperparts, head; chestnut-buff underparts.
Image by: 1) Arno_Meintjes 2) Derek Keats - near Pretoria 3) Ian
White 4) Agustin_Povedano 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Madagascar 1) Female 2 - 6) Male
Stonechat, Canary Islands also Fuerteventura Stonechat Saxicola dacotiae Found: Fuerteventura (island in Canary Islands)
The nale Canary Islands Stonechat has dark brown upperparts with blackish streaks; blackish head; white supercilium; white neck sides;light orange-chestnut breast; white wing-bar; whitish belly. Female is washed out version of male with no white neck sides.
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans 2) Frank_Vassen
Stonechat,_Reunion Saxicola tectes Found: island of Reunion (Indian Ocean)
The male Reunion Stonechat has black upperparts; white supercilium (may be absent); white fore-collar; white underparts with variable sized orange breat-patch. Female has browner upperparts; more buff underparts.
Image by:
1) David_Monniaux 2) benoitnabholz 3) Jerry_Oldenettel 4) Dunog 5) Navez 
Stonechat,_Siberian Saxicola maurus Found: Europe, Asia
The breeding male Siberiain Stonechat has black upperparts, head; white half collar; pale orange on unerparts or white. Female has brown upperparts, head; chestnut-buff underparts Nonbreeding male intermediate between breeding male and female.
Image by: 1, 6) stfbfc 2) Imran_Shah - Pakistan 3) Lip_Kee - India 4) Ray
Cui 5) Sidheeq - India
Stonechat,_White-tailed Saxicola leucurus Found: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan
The male White-tailed Stonechat blackish upperparts; black head; white collar; rufous throat patch; white patch on wing-covert.
Image by: 1) Brendan_Ryan - Myanmar 2) Munish Kaushik 3) Werner_Witte - Nepal 4) Vaibhavcho 
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
The Whinchat has brownish upperpart; white supercilium; pale throat, breast; white belly; blackish tail. Male has darker upperparts.
Image by: 1) Yaroslavl Oblas - Russia 2) Jörg Hempel - Germany 3) Frank_Vassen 4) Andrej_Chudy - Romania 5) Cristiano Crolle - Italy
1, 2) Female 3 - 5) Male
Genus Thamnolaea
Chat,_Mocking_Cliff- Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris Found: Africa
The male Mocking Cliff-Chat has glossy black upperparts, breast; white shoulder patch; chestnut belly, rump. Female has dark gray upperparts, breast; chestnut belly, rump.
Image by: 1) Masteraah 2) Joseph Mochoge - Kenya 3, 5, 6) Derek_Keats - South Africa 4) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya 7) Alan_Manson - South Africa 8) Darren
Bellerby - Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya
1 - 3) Female 3 - 8) Male
Genus Xenocopsychus - 1 species
Chat, Angola Cave- Xenocopsychus ansorgei also Cossypha ansorgei Found: Angola, Namibia
Image by: 1) Thomas Hohis - Namibia 2) Nik Borrow - Angola
