Red-breasted chat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Red-breasted chat
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Cardinalidae
Genus:	Granatellus
Species:	G. venustus
Binomial name
Granatellus venustus Bonaparte, 1850
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The red-breasted chat (Granatellus venustus) is a colorful little bird. It belongs to the Cardinalidae family, which includes cardinals and grosbeaks. This bird is special because it is found only in Mexico. This means it is endemic to Mexico.

About the Red-breasted Chat

What's in a Name?

For a long time, scientists thought the red-breasted chat belonged to a different bird family. This family was called Parulidae, or New World warblers. But in the early 2000s, scientists studied the birds' DNA. DNA is like a blueprint for living things. These studies showed that the red-breasted chat actually fits better with the cardinal family.

The red-breasted chat has two main types, called subspecies. Think of them as slightly different versions of the same bird.

• The first type is called Granatellus venustus venustus.
• The second type is G. v. francescae.

How to Spot a Red-breasted Chat

The red-breasted chat is a small bird. It is about 14.5 to 16 centimeters (about 6 inches) long. It weighs around 10 to 11 grams, which is about as much as two quarters.

Male Red-breasted Chats

Adult male chats are very striking.

• Their upper body is mostly a pretty bluish-gray color.
• Most of their face is black.
• They have a bright white stripe above their eye, like an eyebrow. This is called a supercilium.
• A black band goes across their chest.
• Their chin, throat, and sides are white.
• But the most amazing part is their chest and belly. These areas are a bright, fiery red, like vermilion paint!

Female Red-breasted Chats

Adult female chats are a bit different.

• Their upper body is slate gray, which is a darker gray.
• Their face has shades of buff (a pale yellowish-brown) and gray.
• Their chest and belly are buff colored.
• The area near their tail is a soft salmon pink.

Young Red-breasted Chats

Young male chats look a bit like the adults. But they have less black on their heads and upper bodies. Their throat and belly are whitish, with a light pink color towards the back. Young female chats look a lot like the adult females.

Where Red-breasted Chats Live

The red-breasted chat lives only in western Mexico. The main type, Granatellus venustus venustus, can be found all year round. It lives from Sinaloa in the north, all the way south to a narrow strip of land called the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. From there, it goes into Chiapas. Some people think it might even live in northern Guatemala, but there are no official records yet. It also lives inland along the Balsas River.

The other type, G. v. francescae, lives only on the Islas Marías. These are islands off the coast of Nayarit.

Their Home Environment

Red-breasted chats like to live in certain types of places.

• They prefer thorn forests and scrubby woodlands. These are areas with lots of thorny bushes and small trees.
• They can also be found in the lower parts of secondary forests. These are forests that have grown back after being cut down.
• Sometimes, they live in evergreen swamp forests near mangrove swamps or along rivers.
• They usually live from sea level up to about 1,200 meters (about 3,900 feet) high. But in some places, they can be found as high as 1,600 meters (about 5,200 feet).

Red-breasted Chat Habits

What They Eat

Scientists don't know a lot about what red-breasted chats eat or how they find their food. But they believe these birds mostly eat insects and other small creatures like spiders. These are called arthropods.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Red-breasted chats have their babies during the wet season. This is usually from May to September.

• Their nest is shaped like a cup.
• They build it using materials like Spanish moss and other plant fibers.
• They line the inside with softer materials to make it cozy.
• A female chat usually lays two to four eggs.
• Only the female sits on the eggs to keep them warm until they hatch. This is called incubation.
• But once the babies hatch, both the mother and father bird help feed them.

How They Communicate

Red-breasted chats have their own special songs and calls.

• Their song is a repeated, sweet-sounding warble. You can listen to an example here: [1].
• Their call sounds like a repeated "wet plek" or "plik." You can hear it here: [2].

Red-breasted Chat Status

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) checks on how many animals are left in the world. They have said the red-breasted chat is of "Least Concern." This means there are still enough of them that they are not in immediate danger of disappearing.

However, there are some things to think about.

• These birds live in only two protected areas.
• Also, less than 20% of the original forests where they live are still standing. This means their habitat is shrinking.