Herero Chat
Namibornis herero
Arid, rocky ground. Above light brown; rump and outer tail feathers rufous; below white faintly streaked brown; white eyebrow above black facial mask.
Chats, Robins, Thrushes
LC
Near Endemic
Description
Uncommon, near-endemic resident. Unlikely to be confused with any other within its restricted distribution. Easily identified by combination of dark ear coverts, finely streaked breast and orange outer tail-feathers. Silent except when breeding, then utters a subdued ‘ji-ju-jiiu’ contact call, a mellow warbling song in jumbled, short phrases and a ‘churrr’ alarm note. Hunts from a low perch, occasionally flying down to seize insects on the ground. Found on hillsides, at the foot of hills and near dry watercourses in the arid Namib escarpment areas. Most plentiful at Groot Spitzkop, near Usakos.
Quick Facts
Size
17 cm - S
Names
A: Hererospekvreter
G: Namibschnäpper
Bird Family
Largely terrestrial, insectivorous or frugivorous birds that sing from trees, some robins rating as among our finest songsters. The sexes are alike unless otherwise stated, while immatures usually have the feathers of the upperparts pale-edged, the underparts spotted.
Distribution
Gallery
Behaviour
Breeding
Habitat
Found on hillsides, at the foot of hills and near dry watercourses in the arid Namib escarpment areas.
