Dessonornis caffer
The Cape Robin-Chat, *Dessonornis caffer*, is a vibrant and melodious passerine bird belonging to the family Muscicapidae (Old World flycatchers and chats), closely related to other robin-chats within its genus. Measuring approximately 17-18 cm (6.7-7.1 in) in length and weighing 29-34 g (1.0-1.2 oz), this species is instantly recognizable by its striking rufous-orange underparts, contrasting with slate-grey upperparts and a distinctive black face framed by a prominent white supercilium. Thes...
Found in a variety of habitats, including gardens, parks, forests, woodland thickets, riparian zones, and fynbos, often in close proximity to human habitation, from sea level to moderate elevations.
The Cape Robin-Chat is an omnivorous species, feeding primarily on insects and other invertebrates (beetles, ants, termites, spiders), supplemented by small vertebrates, and a significant amount of fruits and berries, often foraging on the ground or in low vegetation.
Primarily a diurnal species, the Cape Robin-Chat is most active during early morning and late afternoon, often singing vigorously from prominent perches at dawn and dusk before roosting in dense cover overnight. It forages mostly on the ground, employing a 'run-and-peck' technique, often flicking...
The Cape Robin-Chat is widely distributed across Southern and Eastern Africa. Its primary breeding range extends from the southwestern Cape region of South Africa eastward through the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini, and Lesotho, continuing northward into Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Malaw...
Least Concern
- The Cape Robin-Chat is renowned for its extraordinarily rich and varied song, often incorporating mimicry of up to 30 or more other bird species, making it a master vocalist of the African bush. - Despite its 'robin' name, it's not closely related to the true robins of Europe or North America, ...