Red-capped Robin-Chat (Cossypha natalensis) | Photos, Calls and ID

LCLeast ConcernInvertebrates

WoodlandCup nestSmall · 34 g

Red-capped Robin-Chat (Cossypha natalensis), photo 1 — Photo: Dave Brown · CC0

What the Red-capped Robin-Chat sounds like

Sonogram of the Red-capped Robin-Chat: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.

Recorded by paulo kivuyo · lake duluti, Arusha Region, Tanzania · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The red-capped robin-chat is a relatively large species of robin-chat with a length of 15.5 to 19 cm (6.1 to 7.5 in). The adults have an orange-rufous head, face, breast and belly with a large dark eye. The overall appearance of the head is of a plain face with the dark eye in its centre. The wings and upperparts of the body are dusky and these contrast with the dark central and bright orange outer tail feathers. The juveniles are a mottled dark brown with rufous-brown spots on the head. The upper and underparts have rufous spots, these become larger towards the belly. Voice: The red-capped robin chat has a plaintive, tremulous contact call and has other fluty vocalisations, similar to those of other robin-chats. The song is a long series of melodious whistles with a lot of mimicry included.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Red-capped Robin-Chat

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Red-capped Robin-Chat

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 17 countries with regular records, and 2 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

South Africa Kenya Uganda Mozambique Tanzania Zimbabwe Eswatini Zambia Malawi Rwanda Ethiopia Congo - Kinshasa Angola Nigeria Botswana Namibia Congo - Brazzaville

Recorded as a rare visitor in Gabon, Somalia.

About the Red-capped Robin-Chat

The red-capped robin-chat or Natal robin is a species of passerine bird belonging to the family Muscicapidae. This species is found in central and eastern Sub-Saharan Africa.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Chorister Robin-ChatCossypha dichroaThis is a large robin-chat, about 20 cm (7.9 in) in length.

Snowy-crowned Robin-ChatCossypha niveicapillaThe snowy-crowned robin-chat is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.

Rüppell's Robin-ChatCossypha semirufaIt is a smaller version of the White-browed robin-chat, measuring 18 cm rather than 20 cm, with darker, blackish central tail feathers, and in some races a more constricted supercilium behind the eye.

Side by side: Red-capped Robin-Chat vs White-browed Robin-Chat · Chorister Robin-Chat vs Red-capped Robin-Chat

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