Herero chat

Introduction: Herero chats (Namibornis herero) are quite rightly named after the Herero tribe, who dominate the area where they were first recorded. Vegetated inselbergs and the escarpment regions with sparsely covered areas of bush-cherry, cluster-leaf, corkwood and other Acacia species are favoured habitats.

Distribution: This species is a near-endemic to Namibia, found along the Namibian escarpment and nearby plains from the Tsaris Mountains near Sesriem north through Damaraland and Kaokoland to the Kunene River. Locally common they can be observed at Spitzkoppe.
Diet: Eats mainly ants and termites but also takes grasshoppers, stick insects, moths and spiders. Berries and seeds are also foraged.

Description: Dark brown upper parts and crown with a distinctive dark brown facial mask through the eye, lores and cheeks. Upper wing coverts and flight feathers dark brown with a whitish throat and off-white belly and breast.
Breeding: Both male and female build a grassy nest in 3 to 4 days. Usually 2 or 3 eggs are laid from February to March an d incubated mostly by the female for not longer than 16 days.

Size:17cm.

Weight: 25g.