Boulder Chat

About the Boulder Chat

The boulder chat (Pinarornis plumosus) is a species of bird in the thrush family Turdidae native to dry woodland and savanna in Southern Africa. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Pinarornis. The boulder chat was formally described in 1876 by the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe. He introduced a new genus specifically for this species and coined the binomial name Pinarornis plumosus. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek pinaros meaning "dirty" with ornis meaning "bird". The specific epithet plumosus is Latin and means "feathered" or "downy".

Although formerly classified in the family Muscicapidae, a 2020 phylogenetic study, the results of which were followed by the International Ornithological Congress, indicates that Pinarornis is in fact a basal clade within the thrush family Turdidae.

The boulder chat is a large chat, 25 cm (9.8 in) in length, with brownish-black plumage and white tips to the outer tail feathers. In flight, a row of small white spots can be seen on the edge of the primary and secondary coverts. Females are similar to males but have a slightly duller plumage.

The species is... Wikipedia →