chatted

I’m not exactly sure who named the chat, but they did an admirable job because the yellow-breasted chat, does just that. They chat. Chat. Chat. Chat.

For most of my life, chats were believed to be a kind of New World Warbler, albeit a very atypical, large warbler. However, it was recently confirmed that they are not warblers. But what are they? Currently, they’re in a group by themselves.

Their song is a long varied series of this and that, simple notes, bleeps and chucks, sometimes harsh and raspy, sometimes liquidy whistles. David Allen Sibley records it as “toop-toop-toop-toop toop toop toop; chook; terp; jedek; chrr chrr chrr chrr chrr…….” Yes, chrr, chrr, chrr. That's about right except like a vireo, it seems to go on and on and on.

Chats are very secretive, hiding in forested edges near open fields.
Today on a walk at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge, I discovered a chat in a tree directly above me. I got his full repertoire. Chrr. Chrr. Chrr. Click. Terp. Whistle. He was feeling chatty. Luckily, I had my camera, but unfortunately he managed to stay fairly well hidden.