Muscicapidae is a large family of small birds restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, take their prey on the wing. The appearance of these birds is very varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls. They vary 10 to 21 cm. Many species are a dull brown in color. Most have broad, flattened, bill, suited to catching insects in flight, although the few ground foraging species typically have finer bills. They live in almost every environment with a suitable supply of trees, from dense forest to open scrub. The more northerly species migrate south in winter, ensuring a continuous diet of insects. [abstracted from Wikipedia]


Genus Bradornis
Found: Africa

Flycatcher, African Grey  aka  Large Flycatcher   Bradornis microrhynchus   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) D Gordon Robertson - Oldupai Gorge, Tanzania  2) Carol Foil - Nairobi National Park, Kenya


Flycatcher, Mariqua  Bradornis mariquensis  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Jerry Oldenettel - Windhoek, Namibia



Genus Cercomela
Found: mainly Africa

Chat, Familiar  Cercomela familiaris  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Hans Hillewaert - Namibia


Chat, Karoo  Cercomela schlegelii  Found: Africa
Photographed by Dick Daniels - South Africa near Cape Town



Genus Cichladusa
Found: tropical Africa

Thrush, Collared Palm-  Cichladusa arquata  Found: Africa
Photographed by Charlie Westerinen - Zimbabwe


Thrush, Spotted Morning also known as Spotted Palm Thrush  Cichladusa guttata   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) DIck Daniels - Tanzania   2, 3) DIck - Tanzania.



Genus Copsychus
Found: Africa, Asia

Robin, Madagascar Magpie  Copsychus albospecularis  Endemic to Madagascar
Photographed by: 1) Frank Vassen - Madagascar  2) Daniel Quinn
1) Female  2) Male



Genus Cossypha
Found: Africa

Robin-chat, Cape aka Cape Robin Cossypha caffra Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Derek Keats  3) Alan Manson  - Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
    4) Dick Daniels - Johannesburg, South Africa  5) Dick - Johannesburg
    6) Dick - Plettenberg Bay, South Africa   7) Dick - Plettenberg Bay, South Africa



Robin-chat, Red-capped  Cossypha natalensis  Found: Africa
Photographed by Arno Meintjes 


Robin-chat, Snowy-crowned  Cossypha niveicapilla  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) BS Thurner Hof  2) Sandy Cole - San Diego Zoo  3) Alois Staudacher   4) Sandy - San Diego Zoo


Robin-chat, White-browed Cossypha heuglini   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) DIck Daniels - Tanzania   2, 3) DIck - Tanzania


Robin-chat, White-crowned   Cossypha albicapilla  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 3 Dick Daniels - San Diego Zoo  2) Dick Daniels - Jacksonville Zoo in Florida



Genus Erythropygia
Formerly Cercotrichas

Robin, Kalahari Scrub   Erythropygia paena  Found: Africa
Photographed by Alastair Rae


Robin, White-browed Scrub  aka Red-backed Scrub-robin   Erythropygia leucophrys   Found: Africa
hotographed by:  1) Dick Daniels - South Africa  2) Charlie Westerinen - the Chobe Park in Botswana



Genus Luscinia
Found: Europe, Asia, Africa

Bluethroat   Luscinia svecica   Found: North America (rare), Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Photographed by:  1) Yuriy75 - Baikonur, Kazakhstan   2) Daniel_Bastaja  
    3) J M Garg - Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India  4) Hiyashi Haka
1, 2) Male  3, 4) Female  4) L. svecica svecica (Red-spotted Bluethroat



Genus Melaenornis
Found: sub-Saharan Africa

Flycatcher, Abyssinian Slaty  Melaenornis chocolatinus  Found: Africa
Photographed by Alastair Rae


Flycatcher, Southern Black  Melaenornis pammelaina  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels near Kruger National Park in South Africa  2, 3) Dick near Kruger National Park


Flycatcher, White-eyed Slaty  Melaenornis fischeri  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Steve Garvie   2, 3) Carol Foil - Nairobi National Park, Kenya



Genus Monticola  Rock-thrush
Found: Europe, Asia, Africa

Thrush, Blue Rock-  Monticola solitarius  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa 
Photographed by: 1)  Jojo2000  2) Ryan Cheng   3) Dick Daniels - Nepal


Thrush, Cape Rock-  Monticola rupestris  Found: South Africa
Photographed by: 1) Arno Meintjes  2) Alan Manson - Cavern Resort, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa


Thrush, Littoral Rock-  Monticola imerinus  Found: Madagascar
Photographed by: 1) Frank Vassen - Madagascar  2, 3) Daniel Guip


Thrush, Sentinel Rock-  Monticola explorator Found: Africa
Photographed by: Jo Mur



Genus Muscicapa
Found: Europe, Asia, Africa

Flycatcher, Ashy aka Blue Grey Flycatcher  Muscicapa caerulescens  Found: Africa
Photographed by Charlie Westerinen - Namibia



Genus Myrmecocichla  Also known as Thamnolaea
Found: Africa

Chat, Mocking Cliff-  Myrmecocichla cinnamomeiventris  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Derek Keats National Park, Limpopo Province, South Africa  2) Alastair Rae - Ethiopia 
    3) Darren Bellerby - Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya   4) Masteraah
1, 2, 3) Male  4) Female


Chat, Sooty  Myrmecocichla nigra   Found: Africa
Photographed by: Lip Kee Yap - Masai Mara, Kenya


Chat, Southern Anteater-  Myrmecocichla formicivora   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Alistair Rae   2) Francesco Verionesi - Namibia    3) Ian White


Chat, White-headed Black-  Myrmecocichla arnoti  Found: Africa
Photographed by Charlie Westerinen - Namibia


Chat, White-winged Cliff-   Myrmecocichla semirufa  Found: Ethiopia
Photographed by Alastair Rae - Ethiopia



Genus Oenanthe
Found: Europe, Asia, Africa

Wheatear, Capped  Oenanthe pileata  Found:  Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels near De Hoop, South Africa  2, 3) Dick near De Hoop  4) Sandy Cole - South Africa


Wheatear, Desert  Oenanthe deserti  Found: Asia, Africa
Photographed by:  1, 2) Hiyashi Haka  3) Ainars Aunins 3) Alastair Rae


Wheatear, Isabelline  Oenanthe isabellina  Found: Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Sergey Yeliseev    2) Lip Kee Yap - Kutch, Gujerat, India


Wheatear, Mountain aka Mountain Chat  Oenanthe monticola  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Hans Hillewaert - Welwitschia Plains, Namibia  3) Jerry Oldenettel - Namib Desert Lodge, Namibia


Wheatear, Mourning  Oenanthe lugubris  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2, 4) Darren Bellerby - Hell's Gate National Park, Naivasha, Kenya  3) Alastair Rae 
1, 2, 3) Male  4) Female


Wheatear, Northern Oenanthe oenanthe   Found: North America (rare), Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by:  1) Philippe Kurlapski  2 Dick Daniels - Scotland


Wheatear, Pied  Oenanthe pleschanka  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Darren Bellerby - Crescent Island, Lake Naivasha, Kenya  2) Alastair Rae
1) Male  2) Female


Wheatear, White-crowned  aka  White-crowned Black Wheatear  Oenanthe leucopyga  Found: Africa
Photographed by:  1) Nir Ofir - Makhtesh Ramon, Israel  2) A C Easton



Genus Phoenicurus
Found: Europe, Asia, Africa

Redstart, Black  Phoenicurus ochruros  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by:  1) JM Garg - India  2) Michael Apel    3) Frank Vassen in Poland   4) Stefan-Xp


Redstart, Common  Phoenicurus phoenicurus  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Thomas Kraft   2) Ferran Pestaña - Spain
1) Male  2) Female



Genus Pogonocichla - 1 species

Robin, White-starred aka Starred Robin  Pogonocichla stellata  Found: Africa
Photographed by Dick Daniels - Tanzania. Identified by Charlie Westerinen



Genus Saxicola
Found: Europe, Asia, Africa

Stonechat (European) Saxicola rubicola   Found: Europe, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Myosotis Scorpioides - England 2) Causinho - Spain  3_ Dixonsej
1, 2) Male 3) Female


Stonechat, African  Saxicola torquata  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Derek Keats - Reitvlei Nature Reserve, near Pretoria  2) Ian White  
  3) Dick Daniels near De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa



Genus  Sigelus - 1 species

Flycatcher, Fiscal  Sigelus silens  Found: Africa
Photographed by:  1, 2) Dick Daniels - Oudshoorn, South Africa  3) Dick - Johannesburg, South Africa  4, 5) Dick - Johannesburg