The Zoochat Photographic Guide To The Muscicapoidea (Part I) - Old World Flycatchers and Chats

This thread, and the accompanying one which shall follow in due course, will cover a relatively recently-proposed clade of passerine birds, the Muscicapoidea; many of the most recognisable songbird species belong to members of this group, which for the purposes of this thread encompasses the Old World flycatchers and chats, true thrushes, starlings, oxpeckers, dippers and mockingbirds. Due to the sheer size of the first three of these groups, this thread will - as already noted - be divided into two; the first will be dedicated to the Old World flycatchers and chats, whilst the second will deal with the remaining groups. This division will allow each thread to cover roughly-equal numbers of species whilst also allowing the threads to be rather less unwieldy in the writing - and once both threads are completed, it will be possible to more accurately judge whether they merit merging into a single larger entity.

Although the exact placement of the various members of this group has been a matter of some debate and flexibility over the years - with taxa being regularly moved between families within the group in the last decade, and with unrelated groups such as the Old World warblers and Old World babblers sometimes included within the overall clade - it seems that the current taxonomic status quo as presented on HBW Alive is reasonably solid, although it is probable that certain species within the Muscicapidae and Turdidae will be subject to further re-assessment and movement, given how closely-tied these two families seem to be.

Of course, I look forward to any discussion and debate the coming posts may incur!

 

MUSCICAPOIDEA



This clade comprises six extant families, as follows:

MUSCICAPIDAE - Old World Flycatchers and Chats (56 genera, 335 species)

TURDIDAE - Thrushes (20 genera, 176 species)

CINCLIDAE - Dippers (1 genus, 5 species)

BUPHAGIDAE - Oxpeckers (1 genus, 2 species)

MIMIDAE - Mockingbirds and Thrashers (10 genera, 34 species)

STURNIDAE - Starlings (33 genera, 123 species)

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MUSCICAPIDAE


This family comprises 56 extant genera, as follows:

Alethe - White-tailed and Fire-crested Alethe (2 species)

Tychaedon - Karoo Scrub-robin and allies (5 species)

Cercotrichas - Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin and allies (5 species)

Copsychus - Magpie-robins (5 species)

Saxicoloides - Indian Robin (monotypic)

Trichixos - Rufous-tailed Shama (monotypic)

Kittacincla - White-rumped Shama and allies (6 species)

Muscicapa - Spotted Flycatcher and allies (14 species)

Bradornis - Sooty Flycatcher and allies (6 species)

Agricola - Pale Flycatcher and Chat-flycatcher (2 species)

Fraseria - Ashy Flycatcher and allies (8 species)

Humblotia - Humblot's Flycatcher (monotypic)

Melaenornis - Fiscal Flycatcher and allies (monotypic)

Niltava - Niltavas (7 species)

Cyanoptila - Zappey's and Blue-and-White Flycatcher (2 species)

Eumyias - Indigo Flycatcher and allies (7 species)

Anthipes - White-gorgeted and Rufous-browed Flycatcher (2 species)

Cyornis - True Jungle-flycatchers and allies (32 species)

Xenocopsychus - Angola Cave-chat (monotypic)

Dessonornis - Cape Robin-chat and allies (6 species)

Erithacus - European Robin (monotypic)

Pogonocichla - White-starred Robin (monotypic)

Oreocossypha - Mountain Robin-chat (monotypic)

Cossyphicula - White-bellied Robin-chat (monotypic)

Swynnertonia - Swynnerton's Robin (monotypic)

Chamaetylas - Red-throated Alethe and allies (4 species)

Cossypha - White-browed Robin-chat and allies (8 species)

Stiphrornis - Forest-robins (3 species)

 

Cichladusa - Palm-thrushes (3 species)

Sheppardia - Usambara Akalat and allies (11 species)

Heinrichia - Minahasa Shortwing and Great Shortwing (2 species)

Vauriella - Eyebrowed Jungle-flycatcher and allies (4 species)

Heteroxenicus - Gould's Shortwing (monotypic)

Brachypteryx - Himalayan Shortwing and allies (10 species)

Larvivora - Japanese Robin and allies (8 species)

Irania - White-throated Robin (monotypic)

Hodgsonius - White-bellied Redstart (monotypic)

Cyanecula - Bluethroat (monotypic)

Luscinia - Nightingales (2 species)

Calliope - Siberian Rubythroat and allies (5 species)

Myiomela - Blue Robins (5 species)

Tarsiger - Bush-robins (6 species)

Enicurus - Forktails (7 species)

Cinclidium - Blue-fronted Robin (monotypic)

Myophonus - Whistling-thrushes (9 species)

Ficedula - European Pied Flycatcher and allies (34 species)

Phoenicurus - True Redstarts (14 species)

Monticola - Rock-thrushes (14 species)

Saxicola - Stonechats and allies (11 species)

Campicoloides - Buff-streaked Chat (monotypic)

Emarginata - Karoo Chat and allies (3 species)

Pinarochroa - Moorland Chat (monotypic)

Thamnolaea - Mocking Cliff-chat (monotypic)

Myrmecocichla - Sooty Chat and allies (7 species)

Oenanthe - Wheatears (28 species)

Pinarornis - Boulder-chat (monotypic)

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Alethe


White-tailed Alethe (Alethe diademata)

The range of this species extends patchily through West Africa from southwest Senegal to southern Togo.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Fire-crested Alethe (Alethe castanea)

The range of this species extends throughout the Congo Basin and central Africa, from southern Nigeria in the west to southern Uganda and northwest Tanzania in the east, and south to northern Angola and south-central DRC.

Two subspecies recognised:

A. c. castanea
A. c. woosnami

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.

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Tychaedon


Karoo Scrub-robin (Tychaedon coryphoeus)

The range of this species extends throughout southern Africa, from central and southern Namibia in the north to the Cape in the south, and east into central South Africa and western Lesotho.

Two subspecies recognised:

T. c. coryphoeus
T. c. cinerea

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Brown Scrub-robin (Tychaedon signata)

The range of this species extends throughout the southeast coastline of Africa, from southern Mozambique to the Cape.

Two subspecies recognised:

T. s. signata
T. s. tongensis

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Forest Scrub-robin (Tychaedon leucosticta)

The range of this species extends throughout western and central Africa in a highly-fragmented and patchy distribution comprising disjunct populations stretching from Sierra Leone to Ghana; from southeast Central African Republic to northeast DRC; and in northwest Angola.

Four subspecies recognised:

T. l. colstoni
T. l. leucosticta
T. l. collsi
T. l. reichenowi

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Bearded Scrub-robin (Tychaedon quadrivirgata)

The range of this species extends through eastern and south-central Africa, from southeast Kenya and southern Somalia in the north to eastern South Africa in the south, and west to northeast Namibia.

Two subspecies recognised:

T. q. quadrivirgata
T. q. greenwayi

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Miombo Scrub-robin (Tychaedon barbata)

The range of this species extends throughout south-central Africa, from central Angola in the west, through Zambia and the southern DRC, to western Tanzania and north-central Malawi in the east.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.

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Cercotrichas


Kalahari Scrub-robin (Cercotrichas paena)

The range of this species extends throughout the arid regions of south-central Africa, from southwest Angola and northwest Namibia in the west, through Botswana to southwest Zimbabwe in the east, and south to northern South Africa.

Four subspecies recognised:

C. p. benguellensis
C. p. damarensis
C. p. paena
C. p. oriens

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin (Cercotrichas galactotes)

The summer breeding range of this species extends across southern Europe into the Middle East and Central Asia, from the southern Iberian Peninsula in the west to eastern Afghanistan, western Pakistan and southern Kazakhstan in the east, and patchily south into northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula; resident populations exist throughout the Sahel of Africa, from Mauritania and Senegal in the west to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia in the east; wintering populations extend patchily throughout the Sahel and Horn of Africa, and south into Kenya and Tanzania.

Five subspecies recognised:

C. g. galactotes - photo by @Zoo Tycooner FR



C. g. syriaca
C. g. familiaris - photo by @gust1



C. g. minor
C. g. hamertoni


Black Scrub-robin (Cercotrichas podobe)

The range of this species extends throughout the Sahel of Africa, from southern Mauritania and northern Senegal in the west, to eastern Sudan and Eritrea in the west, and from here into the western and southern Arabian Peninsula; wintering populations extend south throughout the Horn of Africa, whilst summer breeding populations extend north into the central Arabian Peninsula and southern Israel.

Two subspecies recognised:

C. p. podobe
C. p. melanoptera - photo by @LaughingDove




Brown-backed Scrub-robin (Cercotrichas hartlaubi)

The range of this species comprises a widely-fragmented distribution of disjunct populations; from southeast Nigeria to south-central Cameroon; from northeast DRC to central Kenya and northwest Tanzania; and in northwest Angola.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


White-browed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas leucophrys)

The range of this species extends throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, from southeast Gabon in the west to eastern South Sudan, south-central Ethiopia and northern Somalia in the east, and south to northern Namibia in the west and the southeast Cape in the east.

Nine subspecies recognised:

C. l. leucoptera
C. l. eluta
C. l. vulpina
C. l. brunneiceps
C. l. sclateri
C. l. zambesiana
C. l. munda
C. l. ovamboensis
C. l. leucophrys

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.

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Copsychus


Philippine Magpie-robin (Copsychus mindanensis)

The range of this species extends throughout the Philippines.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Pelzeln’s Magpie-robin (Copsychus pica)

The range of this species extends throughout northwest, western and southwest Madagascar.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Madagascar Magpie-robin (Copsychus albospecularis)

The range of this species extends throughout northeast, eastern and southeast Madagascar.

Two subspecies recognised:

C. a. albospecularis
C. a. inexspectatus

Photo by @lintworm




Seychelles Magpie-robin (Copsychus sechellarum)

Endemic to the Seychelles.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Oriental Magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis)

The range of this species extends throughout southern and southeast Asia, from northwest Pakistan, peninsular India and Sri Lanka in the west, through southern Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh into Indochina and southern China in the east, and south through the Malay Peninsula into the Greater Sundas and Bali.

Seven subspecies recognised:

C. s. saularis - photo by @LaughingDove



C. s. ceylonensis - photo by @ralph



C. s. andamanensis
C. s. musicus - photo by @Hix



C. s. amoenus
C. s. pluto
C. s. adamsi

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Saxicoloides


Indian Robin (Saxicoloides fulicatus)

The range of this species extends throughout the Indian subcontinent, from eastern Pakistan and northwest India in the west, southern Nepal in the north and western Bangladesh in the west, south throughout India into Sri Lanka.

Five subspecies recognised:

S. f. cambaiensis
S. f. erythrurus
S. f. intermedius
S. f. fulicatus
S. f. leucopterus - photo by @ralph



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Trichixos


Rufous-tailed Shama (Trichixos pyrropygus)

The range of this species extends throughout the southern Malay Peninsula and into Borneo and Sumatra.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.
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Kittacincla


White-browed Shama (Kittacincla luzoniensis)

The range of this species is restricted to Luzon and the surrounding offshore islands of Polillo, Catanduanes and Marinduque in the northern Philippines.

Three subspecies recognised:

K. l. luzoniensis
K. l. parvimaculata
K. l. shemleyi

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Visayan Shama (Kittacincla superciliaris)

The range of this species extends throughout the islands of Masbate, Negros, Panay and Ticao in the central Philippines.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


White-rumped Shama (Kittacincla malabarica)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout southern and southeast Asia, from southwest India and Sri Lanka in the west, through southern Nepal, Bangladesh and northern Myanmar to southern China in the east, and south throughout Indochina and the Malay Peninsula into the Greater Sundas; an introduced population is present in Hawaii. The populations present on Borneo may represent a distinct species under the common name of White-crowned Shama.

Fourteen subspecies recognised:

K. m. malabarica
K. m. leggei - photo by @ralph



K. m. interposita - photo by @KCZooFan



K. m. macroura
K. m. tricolor - photo by @LaughingDove



K. m. melanura
K. m. hypoliza
K. m. opisthochra
K. m. mirabilis
K. m. omissa
K. m. nigricauda
K. m. suavis
K. m. stricklandii - photo by @vogelcommando



K. m. barbouri


Andaman Shama (Kittacincla albiventris)

Endemic to the Andaman Islands.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


White-vented Shama (Kittacincla nigra)

The range of this species is restricted to the Calamian Islands, Palawan and Balabac in the western Philippines.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Black Shama (Kittacincla cebuensis)

Endemic to the island of Cebu in the south-central Philippines.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.

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Muscicapa


Grey-streaked Flycatcher (Muscicapa griseisticta)

The breeding range of this species extends from northeast China and northernmost North Korea into the Russian Far East, Sakhalin and Kuril Islands; the wintering range of this species extends throughout the Philippines, Borneo, Sulawesi, the Moluccas and eastern Lesser Sundas into western New Guinea.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Dark-sided Flycatcher (Muscicapa sibirica)

The breeding range of this species comprises a pair of disjunct populations; throughout central and southeast Siberia and northern Mongolia in the west into the Russian Far East, northeast China, North Korea and Japan in the east; and throughout the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau from northeast Afghanistan in the west to south-central China in the east, The wintering range of this species extends throughout Indochina and southeast China into the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra.

Four subspecies recognised:

M. s. sibirica
M. s. gulmergi
M. s. cacabata
M. s. rothschildi

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Ferruginous Flycatcher (Muscicapa ferruginea)

The breeding range of this species extends throughout the central and eastern Himalayas into central and southern China, and south into northern Indochina, with a disjunct population in Taiwan; the wintering range of this species extends from southern Indochina and the Malay Peninsula into the Greater Sundas in the south and Hainan Island in the north.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Brown-breasted Flycatcher (Muscicapa muttui)

The breeding range of this species extends from northeast India into southern and central China, and south into northern Indochina; the wintering range of this species is restricted to Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats of southwest India.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica)

The breeding range of this species comprises a pair of disjunct populations; throughout central Siberia and northern Mongolia in the west, through northeast China and North Korea to the Russian Far East and Japan in the east; and throughout the western and central Himalayas. The wintering range of this species extends throughout southern and southeast Asia, from western India and Sri Lanka in the west to southeast China and Taiwan in the east, and south through Indochina and the Malay Peninsula into the Greater and Lesser Sundas and southern Philippines. Resident breeding populations are patchily distributed throughout the wintering range.

Six subspecies recognised:

M. d. dauurica - photo by @Chlidonias



M. d. poonensis
M. d. siamensis
M. d. williamsoni - photo by @Chlidonias



M. d. umbrosa
M. d. sodhii


Ashy-breasted Flycatcher (Muscicapa randi)

The range of this species extends throughout Luzon, Samar and Negros in the northern and central Phillipines.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Sumba Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa segregata)

Endemic to Sumba in the Lesser Sundas.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Little Grey Flycatcher (Muscicapa epulata)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout western and central Africa in a fragmented distribution of disjunct populations, from eastern Sierra Leone to northeast DRC.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


African Dusky Flycatcher (Muscicapa adusta)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout eastern Africa, from central Eritrea and Ethiopia in the north to southern South Africa and Swaziland in the south, and from here west into the southeast DRC and central Angola; a disjunct population exists in west-central Cameroon, southeast Nigeria and Bioko Island.

Ten subspecies recognised:

M. a. poensis
M. a. pumila - photo by @ronnienl



M. a. minima
M. a. marsabit
M. a. murina
M. a. fuelleborni
M. a. subadusta
M. a. mesica
M. a. fuscula
M. a. adusta - photo by @Kudu21




Yellow-footed Flycatcher (Muscicapa sethsmithi)

The range of this species comprises a pair of disjunct populations in central Africa; from southeast Nigeria and southern Cameroon through Gabon and Equatorial Guinea into south Central African Republic in the east and southwest Congo in the south; and through the northeast and eastern DRC into western Uganda.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Gambaga Flycatcher (Muscicapa gambagae)

The range of this species extends patchily in a highly-fragmented distribution of disjunct populations throughout the Sahel of Africa, from central Guinea and Liberia in the west to central Ethiopia and northwest Somalia in the east, north into the southwest Arabian Peninsula and south into central Kenya.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)

The breeding range of this species extends throughout Europe, Central Asia and Siberia, from the British Isles and Iberian Peninsula in the west to northern Mongolia and Dauria in the east, and south into northern Africa and the Middle East; the wintering range of this species extends throughout more-or-less the entirety of sub-Saharan Africa.

Seven subspecies recognised:

M. s. striata - photo by @TeaLovingDave



M. s. inexpectata
M. s. neumanni
M. s. sarudnyi
M. s. mongola
M. s. balearica
M. s. tyrrhenica


Swamp Flycatcher (Muscicapa aquatica)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout sub-Saharan Africa from southern Mauritania and Senegal in the west to western South Sudan in the east, and south from here to southeast DRC and central Zambia.

Four subspecies recognised:

M. a. aquatica
M. a. infulata - photo by @Hix



M. a. lualabae
M. a. grimwoodi


Cassin's Flycatcher (Muscicapa cassini)

The range of this species extends throughout West Africa and the Congo Basin, from Sierra Leone and Liberia in the west to northeast DRC and western Uganda, and south as far as northern Angola, southern DRC and northwest Zambia.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.
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Bradornis


Böhm's Flycatcher (Bradornis boehmi)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout south-central Africa, from the central plateau of Angola in the west, through the southern and southeast DRC and Zambia, to southwest Tanzania and western Malawi in the east.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Sooty Flycatcher (Bradornis fuliginosus)

The range of this species extends throughout the Congo Basin and surrounding central Africa, from southern Nigeria and Cameroon in the west to southwest South Sudan and northern Tanzania in the east, and south as far as northwest Angola and southern DRC.

Two subspecies recognised:

B. f. fuliginosus
B. f. minusculus

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Ussher's Flycatcher (Bradornis ussheri)

The range of this species extends throughout West Africa, from southwest Guinea and Sierra Leone in the west to southeast Ghana in the east.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Dusky-blue Flycatcher (Bradornis comitatus)

The range of this species extends throughout West Africa and the Congo Basin, from Sierra Leone and Liberia in the west to southwest South Sudan in the east, and south to northwest Angola, south-central DRC and Burundi.

Three subspecies recognised:

B. c. aximensis
B. c. camerunensis
B. c. comitatus

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


African Grey Flycatcher (Bradornis microrhynchus)

The range of this species extends throughout the Horn of Africa and adjacent eastern Africa, from central Ethiopia and northern Somalia in the north, to west-central Tanzania in the south.

Five subspecies recognised:

B. m. pumilus
B. m. neumanni .
B. m. burae
B. m. microrhynchus - photo by @Hix



B. m. taruensis


Mariqua Flycatcher (Bradornis mariquensis)

The range of this species extends throughout much of southern Africa, from southern Angola in the west, through Namibia, northern South Africa and Botswana, to west-central Zimbabwe in the east.

Three subspecies recognised:

B. m. acaciae
B. m. territinctus
B. m. mariquensis - photo by @Maguari



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Agricola


Pale Flycatcher (Agricola pallidus)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and Gambia in the west to Eritrea and western Ethiopia in the east, and south to northeast Namibia, northern and eastern Botswana and northern South Africa.

Thirteen subspecies recognised:

A. p. pallidus
A. p. modestus
A. p. bowdleri
A. p. duyerali
A. p. parvus
A. p. bafirawari
A. p. griseus
A. p. murinus
A. p. aquaemontis
A. p. divisus
A. p. sibilans
A. p. erlangeri
A. p. subalaris

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Chat-flycatcher (Agricola infuscatus)

The range of this species extends throughout southwest Africa, from coastal southwest Angola in the north, through Namibia and Botswana, to western, southwest and south-central South Africa in the south.

Five subspecies recognised:

A. i. benguellensis
A. i. infuscatus
A. i. namaquensis
A. i. placidus
A. i. seimundi

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.
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Fraseria


White-browed Forest-flycatcher (Fraseria cinerascens)

The range of this species extends throughout West Africa and the Congo Basin, from southwest Senegal and Gambia in the west to southeast Central African Republic in the east, and south to northern Angola and west-central DRC.

Two subspecies recognised:

F. c. cinerascens
F. c. ruthae

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


African Forest-flycatcher (Fraseria ocreata)

The range of this species extends throughout West Africa and the Congo Basin, from southwest Guinea and southern Sierra Leone in the west to northern DRC and western Uganda in the east, and south to northern Angola and central DRC.

Three subspecies recognised:

F. o. kelsalli
F. o. prosphora
F. o. ocreata

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Grey Tit-flycatcher (Fraseria plumbea)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and Gambia in the west to central Ethiopia in the east, and south to western Angola, northwest Botswana, northeast South Africa and Swaziland.

Three subspecies recognised:

F. p. plumbea
F. p. orientalis
F. p. catoleuca

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Grey-throated Tit-flycatcher (Fraseria griseigularis)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout West Africa and the Congo Basin, from eastern Sierra Leone and Liberia in the west to southeast Central African Republic, northern DRC and southwest Uganda in the east, and south to northern Angola.

Two subspecies recognised:

F. g. parelii
F. g. griseigularis

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Ashy Flycatcher (Fraseria caerulescens)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, from southeast Guinea and Sierra Leone in the west to southern Somalia in the east, and south to northernmost Namibia in the west and southeast South Africa in the east.

Six subspecies recognised:

F. c. nigrorum
F. c. brevicauda
F. c. cinereola
F. c. impavida
F. c. vulturna
F. c. caerulescens

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Tessmann's Flycatcher (Fraseria tessmanni)

The range of this species extends patchily in a highly-fragmented distribution of disjunct populations through West Africa and the Congo Basin, from Sierra Leone and southeast Liberia in the west to northeast DRC in the east.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Olivaceous Flycatcher (Fraseria olivascens)

The range of this species extends patchily in a fragmented distribution of disjunct populations through West Africa and the Congo Basin, from southeast Sierra Leone in the west to southeast Central African Republic in the east, and south through Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to coastal DRC, and throughout eastern DRC and adjacent Rwanda and Burundi.

Two subspecies recognised:

F. o. olivascens
F. o. nimbae

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Chapin's Flycatcher (Fraseria lendu)

The range of this species is restricted to northeast DRC, western Kenya and southwest Uganda; this taxon has been suggested to represent a natural hybrid between Muscicapa aquatica and F. olivascens, but seems to be distinct.

Two subspecies recognised:

F. l. lendu
F. l. itombwensis

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.
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Humblotia


Humblot's Flycatcher (Humblotia flavirostris)

Endemic to Grand Comoro in the Comoro Islands.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.
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Melaenornis


Fiscal Flycatcher (Melaenornis silens)

The range of this species extends across much of southern Africa, from southern Botswana in the north, through South Africa and Lesotho to the Cape, and east into southeast Mozambique.

Two subspecies recognised:

M. s. lawsoni
M. s. silens - photo by @Kudu21




Herero Chat (Melaenornis herero)

The range of this species is restricted to a short stretch of coastal southwest Africa, from southwest Angola to central Namibia.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Silverbird (Melaenornis semipartitus)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout east-central Africa, from southwest South Sudan in the north, through northeast Uganda, southwest Ethiopia and western Kenya, to northern Tanzania in the south.

Monotypic.

Photo by @Hix




Abyssinian Slaty-flycatcher (Melaenornis chocolatinus)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Two subspecies recognised:

M. c. chocolatinus
M. c. reichenowi

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Angola Slaty-flycatcher (Melaenornis brunneus)

Endemic to the western highland forests of Angola.

Two subspecies recognised:

M. b. brunneus
M. b. bailunduensis

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


White-eyed Slaty-flycatcher (Melaenornis fischeri)

The range of this species extends patchily through eastern Africa, from southeast South Sudan in the north, through eastern DRC, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda to northern Malawi and southern Tanzania in the south.

Four subspecies recognised:

M. f. fischeri - photo by @Hix



M. f. semicinctus
M. f. toruensis
M. f. nyikensis


Yellow-eyed Black-flycatcher (Melaenornis ardesiacus)

The range of this species is restricted to the mountain forests of the Albertine Rift, extending through southwest Uganda, western Rwanda, Burundi and eastern DRC.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Nimba Flycatcher (Melaenornis annamarulae)

The range of this species is restricted to a short stretch of coastal West Africa, from southeast Sierra Leone to western Ivory Coast, with a small disjunct population in southern Ghana.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Northern Black-flycatcher (Melaenornis edolioides)

The range of this species extends throughout the Sahel of Africa, from southern Senegal and Gambia in the west to eastern South Sudan and west-central Ethiopia in the east, north from here into Eritrea and south into Uganda and Kenya.

Three subspecies recognised:

M. e. edolioides
M. e. lugubris - photo by @ronnienl



M. e. schistaceus


Southern Black-flycatcher (Melaenornis pammelaina)

The range of this species extends throughout much of central and southeast Africa, from southwest Uganda in the north to southeast South Africa in the south, and west through southern DRC and Zambia to eastern and central Angola; disjunct populations are present in southeast Congo and adjacent southwest DRC, central Kenya south to north-central Tanzania, and in southeast Somalia.

Five subspecies recognised:

M. p. tropicalis
M. p. poliogynus
M. p. diabolicus
M. p. pammelaina
M. p. ater

Photo by @vogelcommando



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Niltava


Rufous-bellied Niltava (Niltava sundara)

The range of this species extends from the northwest Himalayas of northern Pakistan and adjacent India, throughout the Himalayas into south-central China, and south into Bangladesh, Myanmar and northern Indochina.

Three subspecies recognised:

N. s. whistleri
N. s. sundara
N. s. denotata - photo by @Himimomi




Small Niltava (Niltava macgrigoriae)

The range of this species extends from the west-central Himalayas of northern India, throughout the central and eastern Himalayas into Assam, Bangladesh and northern Myanmar, and east into southeast China and northeast Indochina.

Two subspecies recognised:

N. m. macgrigoriae
N. m. signata

Photo by @Cephie




Rufous-vented Niltava (Niltava sumatrana)

The range of this species extends patchily and sparsely through the southern Malay Peninsula into the montane forests of western Sumatra.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Large Vivid Niltava (Niltava oatesi)

The breeding range of this species extends throughout south-central China and adjacent northern Myanmar; the wintering range of this species extends patchily throughout Myanmar into northern and central Thailand.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Small Vivid Niltava (Niltava vivida)

Endemic to Taiwan.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Fujian Niltava (Niltava davidi)

The breeding range of this species extends throughout northeast Myanmar and central and southern China, and as far south as northwest Vietnam; the wintering range of this species extends throughout eastern and southern Indochina.

Monotypic.

Photo by @Tomek




Large Niltava (Niltava grandis)

The range of this species extends from the Himalayas of central Nepal into Assam, Bangladesh and northern Myanmar, and south from here throughout south-central China, Indochina and the Malay Peninsula, extending into western Sumatra.

Four subspecies recognised:

N. g. grandis
N. g. griseiventris
N. g. decipiens - photo by @Hix



N. g. decorata

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