Chat Flycatcher (Melaenornis infuscatus) [XC515498]
by Frank Lambert from Koa Dunes (near Aggeneys), Namakwa, Northern Cape, South Africa (call)
Chat Flycatcher (Melaenornis infuscatus) [XC650644]
by Nature sounds by Simply Birding from Beaufort West Municipality (near Beaufort West), Central Karoo DC, Western Cape, South Africa (song)
Subspecies
Genus often merged with Melaenornis. Clinal increase in body size from north to southern within range.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
benguellensis (Sousa, 1886) - Southern Angola (arid coastal plain of Mocamedes and Benguela) and north-western Namibia (Kaokoveld).
infuscatus (Smith, 1839) - South-western Namibia (Great Namaqualand) and south-western South Africa (lower R Orange south to south-western western Cape).
namaquensis (Macdonald, 1957) - Namibia (except north-western and south-west), extreme western Botswana and adjacent South Africa (north-western northern Cape).
placidus (Clancey, 1958) - Botswana (except extreme western and south-west) and north-central South Africa (eastern northern Cape, North West Province, north-western Free State).
seimundi (Ogilvie-Grant, 1913) - South-central South Africa (south-western Free State south to northern western Cape and north-western eastern Cape).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet