Rose-breasted Chat Granatellus pelzelni Scientific name definitions

Taxonomic note: Lump. This account is a combination of multiple species accounts originally published in HBW Alive. That content has been combined and labeled here at the subspecies level. Moving forward we will create a more unified account for this parent taxon. Please consider contributing your expertise to update this account.

The three species of Granatellus chats were long placed with the Parulidae (New World warblers) but are currently considered to be Cardinalidae (cardinals). Whatever their correct position in the avian ‘tree’, all three are highly attractive birds, and the Rose-breasted Chat, which is the Amazonian (and sole South American) representative of this superspecies, is no exception. It generally ranges over northern, southern, and eastern Amazonia, but is generally uncommon, and the species is completely absent from the westernmost portion of the basin. Males are generally dark gray above, with a white postocular streak, and red-and-white underparts, whilst females are also gray on the upperparts, but generally buffy over the head and underparts. They inhabit lowland forest, including edges, and sometimes join mixed-species flocks containing other insectivores. Although usually found at higher levels in the forest strata, the Rose-breasted Chat occasionally visits the understory. No information concerning the species’ breeding biology is available as yet.

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-breasted)

12–12·5 cm; 10–12·5 g. Long tail frequently cocked and fanned. Male has black head, white supercilium behind eye; upperparts and upperwing blue-grey, tail black; throat  white with very narrow (often broken) black lower border; underparts rose-red, contrasting broad white flanks  ; iris dark; bill blackish, grey base to mandible; legs dark grey. Female  has blue-grey crown, nape and upperparts, including wings, black tail (as in male), rich buff forehead, sides of head, breast, flanks and vent, white throat and belly  , and rose-pink undertail-coverts. Full juvenile apparently undescribed; moulting juvenile male resembled dull adult, with black on head restricted to forehead, buffy-white supercilium, and buff-tinged underparts with less red than on adult.

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-bellied)

12–12·5 cm. Long tail frequently cocked and fanned. Male  has black forecrown, white supercilium behind eye; upperparts (including most of crown) and upperwing blue-grey, tail black; throat white with very narrow black lower border; underparts deep red  ; iris dark; bill blackish, grey base to mandible; legs dark grey. Female has blue-grey crown, nape and upperparts, including wings, black tail (as in male), rich buff forehead, sides of head, breast, flanks and vent, and rose-pink undertail-coverts  . No information is available concerning plumage maturation.

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Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-breasted)

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-bellied)

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-breasted)

Extreme E Colombia, S & SE Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, C & E Amazonian Brazil and extreme N Bolivia.

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-bellied)

Extreme E Amazonian Brazil S of R Amazon (E of R Tocantins).

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-breasted)

Tropical rainforest and forest edge, drier deciduous forest and well-developed second growth, often by rivers or lagoons in forest interior; mostly at very low altitudes, but to 850 m in S Venezuela.

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-bellied)

Tropical rainforest and forest edge, often by rivers or lagoons in forest interior; mostly at very low altitudes.

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-breasted)

Sedentary.

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-bellied)

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-breasted)

Probably feeds mostly, if not entirely, on insects and other invertebrates. Forages mainly at middle to high levels, in canopy and in dense vine tangles, but also low in understorey at times; actively gleans from foliage, and makes short flycatching sallies after insects. Outside breeding season single individuals or pairs may join mixed-species foraging flocks.

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-bellied)

Diet (basically insects  ) and foraging behaviour have not been described, but both are presumably similar to the fragmentary details available for G. pelzelni.

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-breasted)

Song  a series of 5–6 clear, sweet notes on one pitch, transcribed as “sweet, sweet, tuwee-tuwee-tuwee-tuwee”; calls  include sharp, dry “jrrt”, often repeated regularly, and nasal “tank”.

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-bellied)

Distinctive song  is a variable, rather rhythmic phrase alternating one or more mellow low-pitched downslurred whistles and harsher short high-pitched notes, each phrase shorter than in analogous vocalization of G. pelzelni, with different note shapes and mellow notes covering a much narrower frequency range.

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-breasted)

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-bellied)

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-breasted)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Generally uncommon throughout much of range; locally fairly common in Venezuela. Only recently discovered (Jan 2012) in easternmost Colombia (Guainía). No population estimates available, but known from a number of protected areas.

Rose-breasted Chat (Rose-bellied)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Probably generally uncommon within its comparatively large range, although there are few data. Present in Cantão State Park, Tocantins. This species is suspected to lose 22–25% of suitable habitat within its distribution over three generations (12 years) based on a model of Amazonian deforestation and it is therefore suspected to decline by < 25% over three generations.