About Bradornis infuscatus (A.Smith, 1839)
Bradornis infuscatus, commonly called the chat flycatcher, is an earthy light reddish-brown bird with large, pale wing edges. Juvenile chat flycatchers have speckled feathers. This species reaches about 20 centimeters in length, and produces a song made up of a "cher cher chirrup" sound. Chat flycatchers are distributed across South Africa, Botswana and Angola. Their natural habitat is dry savanna, but they can also be found in shrublands and woodlands across their range. They frequently perch on low-lying bushes and telephone wires. Chat flycatchers can lay eggs year-round, but peak egg laying is thought to occur from September to March, which is the period of increased rainfall in their habitat. On average, they lay two to three eggs per clutch. They build their nests above ground, in shrubs and thickets. The female chat flycatcher incubates the eggs for approximately two weeks, while the male provides food for the female during incubation. After eggs hatch, both parents raise and feed the hatchlings. Young chat flycatchers leave the nest between eleven and fourteen days after hatching.
