Mocking Cliff Chat
Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
The Mocking Cliff Chat (Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris) is a uncommon chats, old world flycatchers, and alli found in 23 countries, weighing about 40 g. The mocking cliff chat, mocking chat or cliff chat, is a species of chat in the family Muscicapidae which occurs in rocky habitats in much of eastern Sub-Saharan Africa.
About the Mocking Cliff Chat
The mocking cliff chat, mocking chat or cliff chat, is a species of chat in the family Muscicapidae which occurs in rocky habitats in much of eastern Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only species placed in the genus Thamnolaea.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The mocking cliff chat is a large chat with distinctive colouration. The male has a glossy black with a chestnut belly, vent, and rump and white shoulder patches. The shoulder patches vary in size geographically. The female is dark grey with a chestnut lower breast, belly, and vent. The mocking cliff chat has a length of 19–21 cm and weigh 41–51g. Voice: A loud fluty melodious warbling song which often contains many rapid-fire phrases mimicking other species, with some harsher phrases interspersed.
What the Mocking Cliff Chat sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Mauritania.
When to see it
The Mocking Cliff Chat can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Mocking Cliff Chat?
- The mocking cliff chat is a large chat with distinctive colouration. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Mocking Cliff Chat?
- The Mocking Cliff Chat is a small sized bird weighing about 40 g.
- Where can you see a Mocking Cliff Chat?
- The Mocking Cliff Chat occurs in 23 countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.
- What does a Mocking Cliff Chat sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Mocking Cliff Chat on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Mocking Cliff Chat?
- The Mocking Cliff Chat is most easily confused with the Blue-fronted Redstart, the Pied Wheatear and the Cape Rock Thrush.
- Is the Mocking Cliff Chat endangered?
- The Mocking Cliff Chat is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Mocking Cliff Chat for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.