Alternative name: Natal Robin, Rufous-capped Robin-Chat
- Cossypha natalensis
Identification
16–17 cm (6¼-6¾ in), mass 24-36 g.
- Reddish-brown crown
- Orange face and underparts
- Bluish-grey upperparts
- Orange tail with black centre
- Black eye
Distribution
Africa:
Found in Ethiopia and Somalia through Kenya, Uganda and DRC to Angola in the west and through eastern Africa to eastern South Africa. Isolated populations in Nigeria and Central African Republic.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Cossypha natalensis has three subspecies:[1]
- C. n. larischi
- C. n. intensa
- Southern Somalia and Sudan to Angola, north-eastern South Africa and Mozambique
- C. n. natalensis
- Coastal south-eastern South Africa
Habitat
Subtropical and tropical dense evergreen forest and more open deciduous woodland. In lowland or middle elevavation.
Behaviour
Usually found singly or in pairs.
Diet
Forages mainly on the ground for invertebrates such as beetles and fruits.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
- Sinclair, I and P Ryan. 2003. Birds of Africa South of the Sahara. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691118154
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved December 2016)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Red-capped Robin-Chat. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Red-capped_Robin-Chat
