White-fronted Chat
A species of Australian chats Scientific name : Epthianura albifrons Genus : Australian chats
White-fronted Chat, A species of Australian chats
Botanical name: Epthianura albifrons
Genus: Australian chats
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Victuallers , used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
Adult white-fronted chats are 11–13 cm (4.3–5.1 in) in length and weigh 11–17 g (0.4–0.6 oz). The male has a white face and breast bordered by a black band across the breast and nape to the hind crown. The upperparts are silver-grey, wings and upper tail coverts are dark brown, and the abdomen is white. The eyes of the male are pinkish-white, whereas the eyes of the female are brown. The female has grey-brown upperparts and white or pale grey underparts with a fainter blackish-brown breast band. The contact call, a metallic tang sound given in flight at irregular intervals, has been likened to the twanging of a rubber band.
Size
13 cm
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
White-fronted Chat consume a diverse diet, chiefly insects like beetles, ants, bees, and grasshoppers, alongside spiders, seeds, and nectar. They typically forage alone or in small groups, employing ground-based or low-bush hunting techniques, demonstrating a flexible feeding strategy.
Habitat
White-fronted Chat occupies open landscapes in temperate to semi-arid regions, primarily in areas with low vegetation. Their habitats include grasslands, shrublands, and coastal dunes, in addition to wetland edges, such as salt marshes. They thrive amidst vegetation like samphire and tea-tree, and adapt to disturbed areas, including farmlands and golf courses.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
The white-fronted chat is usually conspicuous, perching prominently on bushes, tussocks or fences. However, it is quite secretive in approaching the nest, engaging in distraction displays. They are a gregarious species, often nesting in small colonies.
Distribution Area
The white-fronted chat is endemic to Australia, being found across southern Australia (including Tasmania) from Shark Bay in Western Australia around to the Darling Downs in Queensland. Its preferred habitat is open country with low vegetation, including samphire (Tecticornia), tea-tree (Melaleuca) and heath, in saltmarshes and coastal dunes, in swamp or mangrove margins and around inland salt lakes. It is generally sedentary in the wetter southern part of its range, though it may be nomadic in more arid areas.
Species Status
The white-fronted chat has been listed as vulnerable in New South Wales, with a significant decline of 65% recorded for the period 1981-2005. It is considered threatened in the Adelaide-Mount Lofty region of South Australia, where it has become much rarer. However, it is listed globally as least concern on the IUCN Red List.
Photo By Victuallers , used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Honeyeaters Genus
Australian chats Species
White-fronted Chat