Adult - common garden bird throughout its range. All images copyright Simply Birding.
Cape Robin-chat
Dessonornis caffer- Habitat: Forest edges, scrub, thickets and even gardens.
- Diet: Omnivorous eating invertebrates as well as berries and seeds.
- Status: Common resident.
- Calls: Song Short, varying phrases with extensive mimicry. Each phrase starts with a single slured downward whistle which, in conjunction with the rest of the phrase is unique. Alarm call a distinctive ki-ra-rirr sound given in most alarm situations.
- Similar looking: None. The robin build together with the white eyebrow and orange bib is distincitve.
- Similar sounding: White-throated Robin-chat lacks the descending whistle at the start of each phrase. The alarm call is simialr to the alarm call of Grey Cuckooshrike
Fun facts
They are fairly competent mimics and and pull off convincing renditions of dozens of other species.
ID pitfalls
None. This is a fairly easily identifiable bird.
Where to find one
Common throughout its range where it prefers denser cover but is also common in well wooded gardens.