Mocking Cliff-Chat
Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
The sexes of this large, strong-legged, long-tailed chat of rocky inselbergs and boulder-strewn woodland look different. The striking male has glossy black upperparts and chestnut underparts and rump, and in some areas a bold white shoulder patch and white crown. The female is duller, with slaty gray-brown upperparts and deeper rufous underparts, and lacks the white shoulder patch. This bird has a distinctive habit of slowly lifting its tail. It is often detected by its loud, complex, melodic song, sometimes given in duet, and often including imitations of other species. The White-winged Cliff-Chat, restricted to northeast Africa, differs from Mocking Cliff-Chat by having white patches in the wing feathers in both sexes.
Identification
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.<p>A loud fluty melodious warbling song which often contains many rapid-fire phrases mimicking other species, with some harsher phrases interspersed.
Taxonomy
There are six currently recognised subspecies<p>The white-crowned cliff chat (Thamnolaea coronata) of West Africa is sometimes included in this species.
- Scientific name
- Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
- Authority
- (Lafresnaye, 1836)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Thamnolaea
Range and habitat
The mocking cliff chat inhabits rocky and boulder strewn areas, well-wooded rocky ravines, cliffs, gullies, boulder-strewn hillsides and watercourses in valley bottoms with scattered rocks. The mocking cliff chat occurs in a neat band from central Ethiopia in the north through east Africa into Zimbabwe, south-eastern Botswana, southern Mozambique and eastern South Africa as far as the far east of Western Cape province. Mostly resident but in the south of its range tends to move to lower altitudes in the winter months.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pemba Scops-Owl
Otus pembaensis
A large scops-owl that is endemic to the Tanzanian island of Pemba. A fairly plain owl with small ear tufts. The base coloration varies from brown to rufous. Within its tiny range, fairly common in forest, woodland, and plantations. Usually detected by its voice: a single hoot that is repeated after an irregular pause of several seconds. Males and females both call, though the male’s hoots are lower.
Red-pate Cisticola
Cisticola ruficeps
A small but strong-billed cisticola that is rich gray-brown on the back and pale below. The back is plain in breeding plumage and heavily streaked in the non-breeding season. Note the black band and pale tips across the end of the tail. Found locally in savanna and dry woodland. Very similar to Dorst’s Cisticola, and best distinguished by song, but has a brighter rufous cap and whiter underparts. Also similar to Foxy and Rufous Cisticolas, but larger, with a rufous cap that contrasts with the gray-brown back. Perches up to sing a brief squeaky warbled phrase, thin and high-pitched.
Black-necked Weaver
Ploceus nigricollis
A medium-sized, dark-eyed weaver in which males and females are distinctly different, but both are colorful. Varies geographically: upperparts are black in the east and brownish-black in central Africa. Found in woodland, thick scrub, moist savanna, gallery forest, and forest clearings and edge. Usually alone or in pairs. Vocalizations are typical of weavers: “chet” notes and a sizzling, “radio static” song. Formerly treated as the same species as Olive-naped Weaver, under the name “Black-necked Weaver.”
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