Mystery bird: alpine chat, Cercomela sordida

Alpine chat, Cercomela sordida, also known as the mountain, hill or moorland chat, photographed at Debre Libanos, a monastary northwest of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Image: Dan Logen, 24 January 2011 [velociraptorize].
Nikon D300, 600 mm lens with 1.4 extender, ISO 640, F7.1, 1/800 sec

Question: This cute little Ethiopian mystery bird is common to a habitat type that most people don't associate with anywhere Africa. Can you identify this bird (or at least tell me the taxonomic family it belongs to)? Can you tell me what is its preferred habitat?

Response: This is an adult alpine chat, Cercomela sordida, a little bird that prefers to live at high elevations, hence it's alternate common names. This bird is a member of the Muscicapidae, otherwise known as the Old World flycatchers. This is a large taxonomic family with more than 300 species of insect-gobbling passerines. Perhaps the most familiar member of this family is the European robin, Erithacus rubecula.

You are invited to review all of the daily mystery birds by going to their dedicated graphic index page.

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