Karoo Chat
Emarginata schlegelii
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)
- GenusEmarginata (Southern African Chats)
- SpeciesEmarginata schlegelii (Karoo Chat)
About the Karoo Chat
The Karoo chat (Emarginata schlegelii) is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is a common resident breeder in southwesternmost Angola, western Namibia and western South Africa. Its habitat is Karoo and desert scrub in the south, extending to the escarpment zone in the north.
The first formal description of the Karoo chat was by the Swedish naturalist Johan August Wahlberg in 1855 under the binomial name Erithacus schlegelii. The species was subsequently placed in the genus Cercomela introduced by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1856. It was moved to its current genus, Emarginata, after molecular phylogenetic studies published in 2010 and 2012 found that Cercomela was polyphyletic. The specific name commemorates the German ornithologist, Hermann Schlegel.
There are four subspecies: E. s. benguellensis (Sclater, WL, 1928) – southwestern Angola and northwestern Namibia E. s. schlegelii (Wahlberg, 1855) – coastal Namibia E. s. namaquensis (Sclater, WL, 1928) – southern Namibia and northwestern South Africa
E. s. pollux (Hartlaub, 1866) – western and central South Africa The Karoo chat is 16–18 cm long and weighs around... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Karoo Chat in Namib-Naukluft National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Namib-Naukluft National Park
Tractrac Chat
Emarginata tractrac
Familiar Chat
Oenanthe familiaris
Mountain Chat
Oenanthe monticola
Chat Flycatcher
Bradornis infuscatus
Karoo Scrub-Robin
Tychaedon coryphoeus
Short-toed Rock-Thrush
Monticola brevipes
Mariqua Flycatcher
Bradornis mariquensis
Kalahari Scrub Robin
Erythropygia paena
Herero Chat
Namibornis herero
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
Southern Anteater-Chat
Myrmecocichla formicivora
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Karoo Chat in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Karoo Chat sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 116 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Karoo Chat in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Karoo Chat in Namib-Naukluft National Park in our monthly data.