Oenanthe monticola
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The mountain chat or mountain wheatear (Myrmecocichla monticola) is a small insectivorous passerine bird that is endemic to southwestern Africa. This non-migratory chat is resident in mountainous and rocky habitats in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and southernmost Angola.
The mountain chat is 18–20 cm long, and like other chats, it has a distinctive tail pattern, with a white rump and outer tail feathers. Its legs and pointed bill are black. The male is very variable in plumage, although the tail pattern and a white shoulder patch are always present. A white and black bird. The body plumage varies from pale grey to almost black, and it may or may not have a white crown to the head. The female is entirely dark brown apart from the white rump and outer tail.
The mountain chat's song is a clear melodic whistle interspersed with harsh chatters. It is monogamous and nests on the ground amongst rocks, laying 2-4 white eggs. It eats insects and berries. Along with other chats, this species was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but based on studies published in 2004 and 2010, the Old World flycatcher... Wikipedia →
Recording0:18
South Africa · 2024
© Namhla · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Chat sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park on a given day, based on 291 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 108 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Chat in Namib-Naukluft National Park on a given day, against about 30% in July and September, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mountain Chat sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Mountain Chat sightings, Namib-Naukluft National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Golden Gate Highlands National Park (South Africa, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mountain Chat is recorded against all the birds logged in Namib-Naukluft National Park (291 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.
