THE familiar chat is a common resident throughout South Africa, especially in drier areas.
They like rocky outcrops, mountains, valley slopes, escarpments, tree lined water courses, farmyards and gardens.
These chats are solitary or in pairs, becoming tame around human settlements. They perch on almost any raised object, flying to the ground to catch prey and flicking their wings on landing.
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They hop on the ground, flicking their wings at every stop. After returning to the perch they again flick their wings and slowly raise the tail once or twice.
Food preferences are insects (mostly flying insects), fruit, bread and animal fat. They are known for eating grease from wagon wheels, hence the Afrikaans name ‘spekvreter’.
The male song is a harsh “chak” interspersed with whistles. They also have a scolding alarm call “shek shek.”
Breeding takes place mainly from August to December. The nest is a cup of hair, wool, feathers or soft plant material. Built on a bulky foundation of clods of earth, small stones, bits of bark, even a hole in the ground.
Three bright greenish blue eggs with faint rusty red speckles are laid. Incubation is from 13 to 15 days and the nestling period is 15 to 18 days.
The isiZulu name is umBexe.
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