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Chats, Old World Flycatchers

Old World flycatchers, belonging to the family Muscicapidae, are small birds predominantly found in Europe, Africa, and Asia, with a few species reaching North America. Initially classified by Scottish naturalist John Fleming in 1822, the family's Latin name encapsulates their insect-catching habits, and today includes 352 species across 51 genera. Their appearance is diverse, often presenting in brown or brightly colored plumage, and they have evolved wide, flat bills ideal for aerial insect hunting, though some also forage on the ground. They inhabit a range of woodland and forest environments, with many migrating to warmer areas during winter. Their nesting habits vary from well-constructed cups to simple linings in tree holes, and their clutch sizes differ with an average of eight eggs for hole-nesters. Over time, taxonomic revisions, often influenced by molecular studies, have both expanded and refined the family's composition, with some genera being reclassified or reshuffled, reflecting the dynamic nature of avian taxonomy.

Regions

Categories

All
Accentors
African & Green Broadbills
Albatrosses
Alcippe Fulvettas
Anhingas, Darters
Asian Barbets
Auks
Austral Storm Petrels
Australasian Babblers
Australasian Robins
Australasian Warblers
Australasian Wrens
Australo-Papuan Bellbirds
Babblers, Scimitar Babblers
Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Birds-of-paradise
Boatbills
Bristlehead
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bushtits
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cassowaries, Emu
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies

Chats, Old World Flycatchers

Cisticolas & Allies
Cockatoos
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Crab-plover
Cranes
Crombecs, African Warblers
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Cupwings
Dippers
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Elachura
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Finfoots
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers
Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Goldcrests, Kinglets
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyeaters
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Hylocitrea
Ibisbill
Ibises, Spoonbills
Ifrit
Indigobirds, Whydahs
Ioras
Jacanas
Jewel-babblers, Quail-thrushes
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Leafbirds
Longspurs, Snow Buntings
Magpie Goose
Megapodes
Melampittas
Monarchs
Mottled Berryhunter
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Nuthatches
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Owls
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Parrotbills & Allies
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Ploughbill
Plovers
Rail-babbler
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandpipers, Snipes
Shrikes
Sittellas
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Treeswifts
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Wallcreeper
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Waxwings
Weavers, Widowbirds
Whipbirds
Whistlers & Allies
White-eyes
Woodpeckers
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
Wrens
Jayshrike

Rück's Blue Flycatcher

Cyornis ruckii
A photo of a Rufous-bellied Niltava (Niltava sundara) , male

Rufous-bellied Niltava

Niltava sundara

Rufous-breasted Bush Robin

Tarsiger hyperythrus

Rufous-browed Flycatcher

Anthipes solitaris

Rufous-chested Flycatcher

Ficedula dumetoria
A photo of a Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher (Ficedula strophiata) , male

Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher

Ficedula strophiata

Rufous-headed Robin

Larvivora ruficeps
A photo of a Rufous-tailed Robin (Larvivora sibilans)

Rufous-tailed Robin

Larvivora sibilans

Rufous-tailed Shama

Copsychus pyrropygus

Rufous-throated Flycatcher

Ficedula rufigula

Rufous-vented Niltava

Niltava sumatrana
A photo of a Rusty-bellied Shortwing (Brachypteryx hyperythra) , male

Rusty-bellied Shortwing

Brachypteryx hyperythra

Sapphire Flycatcher

Ficedula sapphira

Shiny Whistling Thrush

Myophonus melanurus
A photo of a Siberian Blue Robin (Larvivora cyane) , male

Siberian Blue Robin

Larvivora cyane
A photo of a Siberian Rubythroat (Calliope calliope) , male

Siberian Rubythroat

Calliope calliope
A photo of a Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus) , male

Siberian Stonechat

Saxicola maurus

Slaty-backed Flycatcher

Ficedula erithacus
A photo of a Slaty-backed Forktail (Enicurus schistaceus)

Slaty-backed Forktail

Enicurus schistaceus

Slaty-backed Jungle Flycatcher

Vauriella goodfellowi
A photo of a Slaty-blue Flycatcher (Ficedula tricolor) , male

Slaty-blue Flycatcher

Ficedula tricolor
A photo of a Small Niltava (Niltava macgrigoriae) , male

Small Niltava

Niltava macgrigoriae
A photo of a Snowy-browed Flycatcher (Ficedula hyperythra) , male

Snowy-browed Flycatcher

Ficedula hyperythra
A photo of a Spotted Forktail (Enicurus maculatus)

Spotted Forktail

Enicurus maculatus
A photo of a Stejneger's Stonechat (Saxicola stejnegeri) , male

Stejneger's Stonechat

Saxicola stejnegeri

Sula Jungle Flycatcher

Cyornis colonus

Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher

Cyornis omissus

Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher

Muscicapa sodhii

Sulu Jungle Flycatcher

Cyornis ocularis

Sumatran Blue Robin

Myiomela sumatrana

Sumba Brown Flycatcher

Muscicapa segregata

Sumba Flycatcher

Ficedula harterti

Sumba Jungle Flycatcher

Cyornis stresemanni

Sunda Blue Flycatcher

Cyornis caerulatus
A photo of a Sunda Forktail (Enicurus velatus)

Sunda Forktail

Enicurus velatus
A photo of a Taiga Flycatcher (Ficedula albicilla) , male

Taiga Flycatcher

Ficedula albicilla

Tanahjampea Blue Flycatcher

Cyornis djampeanus

Tanimbar Flycatcher

Ficedula riedeli
A photo of a Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae)

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Cyornis tickelliae

Timor Blue Flycatcher

Cyornis hyacinthinus

Turquoise Flycatcher

Eumyias panayensis
A photo of a Ultramarine Flycatcher (Ficedula superciliaris) , male

Ultramarine Flycatcher

Ficedula superciliaris
A photo of a Verditer Flycatcher (Eumyias thalassinus) , male

Verditer Flycatcher

Eumyias thalassinus

Visayan Shama

Copsychus superciliaris
A photo of a Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) , male

Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

White-bellied Bush Chat

Saxicola gutturalis
A photo of a White-bellied Redstart (Luscinia phaenicuroides) , male

White-bellied Redstart

Luscinia phaenicuroides

White-browed Bush Robin

Tarsiger indicus
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Species Categories

AccentorsAfrican & Green BroadbillsAlbatrossesAlcippe FulvettasAnhingas, DartersAsian BarbetsAuksAustral Storm PetrelsAustralasian BabblersAustralasian RobinsAustralasian WarblersAustralasian WrensAustralo-Papuan BellbirdsBabblers, Scimitar BabblersBarn OwlsBee-eatersBirds-of-paradiseBoatbillsBristleheadBulbulsBuntingsBushtitsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCassowaries, EmuCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCockatoosCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCrab-ploverCranesCrombecs, African WarblersCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesCupwingsDippersDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansElachuraFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFinfootsFlamingosFlowerpeckersFlufftailsFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGoldcrests, KingletsGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyeatersHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsHylocitreaIbisbillIbises, SpoonbillsIfritIndigobirds, WhydahsIorasJacanasJewel-babblers, Quail-thrushesKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesLeafbirdsLongspurs, Snow BuntingsMagpie GooseMegapodesMelampittasMonarchsMottled BerryhunterNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsNuthatchesOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOwlsOystercatchersPainted-snipesParrotbills & AlliesPelicansPenduline TitsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloughbillPloversRail-babblerRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandpipers, SnipesShrikesSittellasSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTreeswiftsTrogonsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWallcreeperWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWaxwingsWeavers, WidowbirdsWhipbirdsWhistlers & AlliesWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & AlliesWrensJayshrike

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