Chat Flycatcher

Chat Flycatcher

Bradornis infuscatus

Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

118 Verified sightings at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park From 2019 to 2026
549 In all 4 parks
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Chat Flycatcher

The chat flycatcher (Agricola infuscatus) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that is native to southern Africa. The chat flycatcher was previously placed in the genus Bradornis but was moved to Melaenornis based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010. It was subsequently moved to the genus Agricola based on a study published in 2023.

The chat flycatcher is an earthy light reddish-brown in colour and has large, pale wing edges. Juvenile flycatchers have speckled feathers. The flycatcher produces a song that consists of a "cher cher chirrup" sound. The bird is about twenty centimeters long.

The chat flycatcher is found in South Africa, Botswana and Angola. The flycatcher frequently perches on low-lying bushes and telephone wires. Its natural habitat is dry savanna. However, it is also found in shrublands and woodlands throughout its range.

The chat flycatcher hunts insects. Specifically, it consumes termites, ants and beetles. The flycatcher also consumes small reptiles such as Typhlops, a genus of blind snakes. The chat flycatcher... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:05

South Africa · 2024

© Gareth Bain · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
2 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~20%
3 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
4 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Chat Flycatcher in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Chat Flycatcher sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, based on 118 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 40th most-seen of the 122 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Chat Flycatcher in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?

June and September

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Chat Flycatcher in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, against about 10% in January to March, the lowest months. Those are among Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 40 mm in January. May has too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Chat Flycatcher?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chat Flycatcher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park the best place to see a Chat Flycatcher?

Yes

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Chat Flycatcher sightings, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 20%) and Namib-Naukluft National Park (Namibia, about 10%).

Where does the Chat Flycatcher sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Chat Flycatcher is recorded against all the birds logged in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (118 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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