About Emarginata tractrac (Wilkes, 1817)
Emarginata tractrac, commonly called the tractrac chat, measures 14 to 15 cm in length and weighs approximately 20 grams. Its tail is primarily white, with a dark inverted "T" shape at the tip, a pattern similar to that seen in several wheatear species. The bird’s short, straight bill, along with its legs and feet, are all black, and it has a dark eye. Two distinct regional forms of this species exist. The Namib form, which occurs on hummock dunes and along the coast, has nearly all-white plumage, with grey coloration on its wings and grey tail markings. The south-eastern form, found in gravel plains, has brown upperparts, blackish flight feathers and tail markings, and white underparts. The males and females of this species have similar appearance, while juvenile birds have more mottled plumage than adults. This species is smaller than the Karoo chat; the Karoo chat also has white outer tail feathers that extend all the way to the tail tip. It is paler and greyer than the familiar chat and the sickle-winged chat, both of which have darker rumps than the tractrac chat. The tractrac chat’s song is a soft, fast "tactac" vocalization, and it produces a loud chattering call to defend its territory.
