THE BIOLOGY OF THE MOURNING CHAT IN WINTER QUARTERS

Abstract

Summary. Mourning Chats ( Enanthe lugens in the Helwan area in Lower Egypt winter along the lower spurs of the mountains. Each bird occupies a separate territory from which it excludes other Mourning Chats, and wherein it sings. “Winter” song is most energetic in the months of July to October; at this season the main singing hours are in the early morning and early evening. In the period November to February song is less frequent, and is most often heard in the late afternoon. In the hot weather of the autumn the birds select perches in shade during the mid‐day hours. Evidence is advanced that there is a measure of interspecific territorial competition between Mourning Chats, Hooded Chats ( Enanthe monacha and White‐tailed Chats ( Enanthe leucopyga. The possible relevance of this interspecific territorial practice to the hypothesis of the “food value” of territory is discussed.