Moorland chat
| Moorland chat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Muscicapidae |
| Genus: | Cercomela |
| Species: | C. sordida |
| Binomial name | |
| Cercomela sordida (Ruppell, 1837) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Pinarochroa sordida | |
The moorland chat (Cercomela 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 north-east Africa where it is common in its habitat. 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).[2] It has a short tail and long legs. It is bold and will approach people.
The chat was first discovered on Mount Elgon on the Uganda-Kenya border by Jackson. Mackinder brought back the same bird from Mount Kenya in 1899.[3] 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 he did, and it was the same species as the Mount Elgon bird, an ordinary-looking little brown chat, with a good deal of white in the tail.— Dr Bowdler Sharpe, A Journey to the Summit of Mount Kenya, British East Africa: Discussion[3]
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Cercomela sordida". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ↑ Birds of Africa south of the Sahara, Ian Sinclair and Peter Ryan (2003) Struik ISBN 1-86872-857-9
- 1 2 Thomas Holdich et al. (1900) A Journey to the Summit of Mount Kenya, British East Africa: Discussion The Geographical Journal 15(5) pp. 476–486