- Cossypha heuglini
Alternative name: Heuglin's Robin
Identification
Length 18-20 cm (7-7¾ in), mass 29-44 g.
- Orange underparts and tail
- Grey upper parts
- Black crown, lores and ear-coverts
- Broad white eyebrow
- Dark eye
- Grey legs and feet
Distribution
Africa south of Sahara:
Western Africa: Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, eSwatini
Taxonomy
Subspecies
As many as seven subspecies have been described2, but Clements1 recognises three:
- C. h. heuglini:
- Southern Chad, western Sudan, and Central African Republic east to Ethiopia, south to Angola, northern Botswana, Zimbabwe, and northern South Africa
- C. h. subrufescens:
- Gabon to northern Angola and extreme western Democratic Republic of the Congo
- C. h. intermedia:
- Coastal Somalia south coastaly to north-eastern South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal)
Habitat
Riverine woodland and forest, and moist savanna.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet consists of insects, beetles and ants, caterpillars, moths, grasshoppers, and other small invertebrates. Fruits are also eaten.
Breeding
Monogamous and territorial; they nest in a tree stump cavity. The clutch consists of two to three eggs which are incubated by the female for 12–17 days.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ & Ryan PG (eds) 2005. Robert's Birds of Southern Africa, 7th edition. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. ISBN 0620340533
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-browed Robin-Chat. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 December 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-browed_Robin-Chat
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1