Northern Anteater Chat

Myrmecocichla aethiops

Other Names

  Anteater-Chat, Ant Chat Ant-eating Chat   Traquet brun   Ameisenschmätzer, Rußschmätzer   Hormiguero   Nordlig Termitskvätta   Miertapuit   Sassicola mangiaformiche

World: Africa from Senegal and Gambia East to Sudan; Kenya and Tanzania.

Kenya: Found only in the south-western quarter of Kenya but absent for the extreme South-West South of Lake Victoria.

A bird of grassland and wooded areas, generally above 1700m, often near termite mounds. It's fairly common in Lake Nakuru National Park and can often be seen on the roadside on the way from Lakes Nakuru and Naivasha to the Maasai Mara. It's not actually found in the Mara where it's replaced by the Sooty Chat. The Sooty Chat differs in appearance in having white marks on the shoulders, unfortunately these aren't always visible. The easiest way to tell them apart is in flight, when the white patches on the underside of the Anteater Chat's wings are clearly visible. In most lights it looks blacker than the one pictured above and if you're in a hurry and don't check properly it can also be confused with the Slaty-coloured Boubou, Common Drongo, Northern and Southern Black Flycatchers. All are black (or at least black looking) and about 7-8 inches long.