Moorland Chat
Pinarochroa sordida
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyMuscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats)
- GenusPinarochroa
- SpeciesPinarochroa sordida (Moorland Chat)
About the Moorland Chat
The moorland chat (Pinarochroa sordida), also known as the alpine chat or hill chat, is a species of songbird in the Old World flycatcher family. It is endemic to the eastern Afromontane. It lives at high altitudes on moors and grassland, usually above 3,400 m (11,100 ft), but can live as low as 2,100 m (6,900 ft). It has a short tail and long legs. It is bold and will approach people.
The moorland chat was formally described in 1837 by the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell from a specimen collected in the Simien Mountains of northern Ethiopia. Rüppell coined the binomial name Saxicola sordica. The chat was discovered on Mount Elgon on the Uganda-Kenya border by Frederick Jackson. The English geographer Halford Mackinder brought back the same bird from Mount Kenya in 1899. He presented a paper on the first ascent to the Royal Geographical Society in 1900. The scientific results of his expedition were discussed in detail afterwards.
A very curious little bird was found by Mr Jackson on Mount Elgon at a height of 11,000 feet, and I remember saying to Mr. Mackinder that he was bound to find the same sort of little chat on Mount Kenya, at a height of 11,000 feet. This... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Moorland Chat in Bale Mountains National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Bale Mountains National Park
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Dioptrornis chocolatinus
African Dusky Flycatcher
Muscicapa adusta
Rüppell's Robin-Chat
Cossypha semirufa
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
Red-breasted Wheatear
Oenanthe bottae
Isabelline Wheatear
Oenanthe isabellina
Pied Wheatear
Oenanthe pleschanka
African Gray Flycatcher
Bradornis microrhynchus
Pale Flycatcher
Bradornis pallidus
White-browed Robin-Chat
Cossypha heuglini
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
Rüppell's Chat
Myrmecocichla melaena
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bale Mountains National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 2 | Aberdare National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Moorland Chat in Bale Mountains National Park?
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Moorland Chat sighting in Bale Mountains National Park, based on 251 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Moorland Chat in Bale Mountains National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Moorland Chat in Bale Mountains National Park in our monthly data.