Swynnerton's Robin
Swynnertonia swynnertoni
The Swynnerton's Robin (Swynnertonia swynnertoni) is a legendary chats, old world flycatchers, and alli found in 4 countries, weighing about 16 g. Swynnerton's robin is a species of passerine bird belonging to the family Muscicapidae.
About the Swynnerton's Robin
Swynnerton's robin is a species of passerine bird belonging to the family Muscicapidae. It is monotypic within the genus Swynnertonia. The common and Latin names commemorate the entomologist Charles Swynnerton.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Swynnerton's robin is superficially similar to the larger White-starred robin, but has a white crescent on the upper breast, which is bordered below with a black line, and its grey tail lacks yellow windows. Its sexually dimorphic plumage is unusual among African robins. The female has duller plumage and an olive wash over the crown and face. Juveniles are spotted buffy yellow on the head and upper parts, while the chest crescent is pale greyish brown. This species has a length of 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in). Voice: Swynnerton's robin has a song which has been described as a 3 note whistle, rendered as "zit zitt slurr" or "tsee-tuu-tuu". The third note may be lower in pitch than the preceding 2. The alarm call is a quiet chattering "trrrrrt".
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in South Africa.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Swynnerton's Robin?
- Swynnerton's robin is superficially similar to the larger White-starred robin, but has a white crescent on the upper breast, which is bordered below with a black line, and its grey tail lacks yellow windows. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Swynnerton's Robin?
- The Swynnerton's Robin is a small sized bird weighing about 16 g.
- Where can you see a Swynnerton's Robin?
- The Swynnerton's Robin occurs in 4 countries, including Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Mozambique.
- What birds look similar to a Swynnerton's Robin?
- The Swynnerton's Robin is most easily confused with the Bocage's Akalat, the Cryptic Flycatcher and the Atlas Pied Flycatcher.
- Is the Swynnerton's Robin endangered?
- The Swynnerton's Robin is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Swynnerton's Robin for real
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