Orange chat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Orange chat |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Epthianura
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| Species: |
aurifrons
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The orange chat (Epthianura aurifrons) is a type of bird that belongs to the Meliphagidae family. It is found only in Australia.
Contents
About the Orange Chat
The orange chat is a small songbird that lives only in Australia. These birds are usually about 10 to 12 centimeters (4 to 4.7 inches) long. They weigh around 10 to 12 grams (0.35 to 0.42 ounces). Their wingspan is about 19 centimeters (7.5 inches).
Orange chats have a round body, long thin legs, and a short, straight beak. Their tongue is like a brush. Male orange chats are very bright. Their feathers are mostly a deep orange-yellow, especially on their head and chest. They have black patches around their eyes and on their throat. Their lower back is golden orange, and their tail has a small white tip. Female orange chats are not as bright. They are mostly grey-brown with lighter yellow underparts. The feathers of orange chats do not change with the seasons.
Birds That Look Similar
Sometimes, people confuse the orange chat with the yellow chat or the crimson chat. These birds are similar in size and shape. Orange chats have beaks that are straighter and usually shorter.
It's usually easy to tell an adult male orange chat apart because of its bright orange color and black throat patch. Male yellow chats are also very bright yellow, but they don't have the strong orange color of the orange chat. Female and young orange chats are grey-brown with yellow underparts and yellow on their upper tail. This helps tell them apart from the crimson chat. However, they can still look quite similar to female yellow chats.
Other Names for the Orange Chat
People sometimes call the orange chat by other names. These include orange-breasted chat, orange-fronted chat, golden-fronted chat, or bush chat. They might also be called orange-fronted nun, orange-fronted tang, bush canary, or saltbush canary.
Where They Live and What They Like
Orange chats move around a lot within the dry and semi-dry parts of Australia. They are mostly found inland. Sometimes, they are seen in the northern tropical areas or even near the coast in South and Western Australia.
These birds usually live in dry, flat, salty areas that don't flood often. This includes rocky plains, salt pans, salt lakes, or claypans. They prefer areas with low, treeless shrubs like saltbush, bluebush, or samphire. They can also be found in other open or bushy places, often near wetlands. This includes low mulga woodlands, open acacia scrubland, or grassy areas. Sometimes, they are seen in mallee woodlands or on farms.
How They Move Around
Orange chats are nomadic, which means they don't stay in one place for long. They move around irregularly, often because of the weather. The weather affects how much food is available. During dry times, orange chats might leave their usual homes. They might be seen in areas they don't normally visit.
How They Behave
Orange chats like to be in groups and move around a lot. They fly in a wavy pattern. They are also very shy, so it's hard to get close to them. You can often spot males from far away because of their bright orange feathers. They like to sit on top of low bushes or trees. Males often watch for danger from a tall shrub while the rest of the group eats on the ground.
Orange chats usually feed on the ground or from low shrubs. They are often seen in pairs or small groups of up to 15 birds. However, very large groups of over 400 birds have been seen before. They sometimes mix with groups of crimson and white-fronted chats. They are also seen near or with groups of zebra finches. If something scares an orange chat, it will fly high, land briefly on a low shrub, and then disappear into the bushes on the ground.
When it's time to breed, the large groups break up into pairs. Once a pair forms, the male stays with the female until she lays her eggs. The male will chase away other birds, especially other males, that come too close to the pair. This behavior is mostly seen during the breeding season.
Protecting Their Space During breeding, males mainly protect their territory. Females usually only help if the male is not there.
Faking Injuries When they have eggs or young chicks, one or both parents might pretend to be hurt. They will flap their wings along the ground to distract a predator. Sometimes, they won't go back to their nest until the danger has left.
Their Calls
Most orange chat calls sound like a loud, metallic "tang" or a softer "tchek tchek." These calls are not a big part of protecting their territory. However, a male might click his beak when flying at other birds. This is sometimes followed by a squeak. Males use a soft "shu-shu-shu" call to get females to come to them. Both males and females use a louder "shu-shu-shu" call when they are faking an injury. Parents also use "shu-shu-shu" to call their young when they have food.
What They Eat
Orange chats mostly eat small creatures without backbones, like insects and spiders. They eat ants, bees, wasps, beetles, caterpillars, and grasshoppers. They find these on the ground or in shrubs. Sometimes, they feed with crimson or white-fronted chats, or with groups of zebra finches. If water is nearby, they might feed along the water's edge. However, they are said to rarely drink water. They usually walk more than they hop. They are often seen on or near the ground. They sometimes eat seeds. They have also been seen eating seeds from sunflower crops.
Reproduction
We don't know a lot about how orange chats breed because not many big studies have been done. These birds move and breed when conditions are good, sometimes three or more times a year. They won't breed during dry periods.
Eggs are laid from June to April, but mostly from August to November. Young birds are seen from August to November and from February to May. This timing doesn't change much across the areas where they live.
The female orange chat builds a small, strong nest shaped like a cup. She places it close to the ground in shrubs or plants, often saltbush or samphire. The male protects both the territory and the female while she builds the nest. Sometimes, orange chats nest near pairs of crimson chats, but often they nest alone or in small groups.
The nest is neat and cup-shaped. It's made from dry grass, plant stems, hair, roots, feathers, wool, and small twigs. A typical nest is about 8.9 cm (3.5 inches) wide on the outside and 5.1 cm (2 inches) deep on the outside. The inside is about 5.7 cm (2.2 inches) wide and 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) deep.
Nests are usually built in samphire or chenopod shrubland, near salt lakes. Sometimes, they are built on grassy plains or rocky areas. They are often on top of a living plant or near the ground under a plant, protected from above. During times when many orange chats appear, they might nest in many different types of shrubs, even citrus trees.
The female usually lays 3 or 4 whitish, oval eggs. They are smooth and have brown, red, black, and grey spots, especially at the wider end. The eggs are about 17 x 14 millimeters (0.67 x 0.55 inches). Both parents help to keep the eggs warm for about 11 days. After the young birds hatch, both parents feed them until they can fly and find food on their own.
Young birds leave the nest after about 10 days. For a few days after leaving the nest, they stay in the nesting area. They hide quietly under shrubs. After a few days, they move with their parents and join other groups of birds. The parents continue to feed them.
What Hunts Them
If a predator comes near the nest, either parent will pretend to be hurt to lead the creature away. They will also call loudly during this display. Predators include both animals that are native to Australia and those that have been brought there. These include cats, snakes, foxes, and larger birds like ravens and crows.
See also
In Spanish: Eptianuro naranja para niños
