Brown Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas signata Scientific name definitions

16–19 cm; 32–42 g. Nominate race is dark olive-brown above, rump paler, blackish wings with white marks from carpal to primary bases, tail dark olive-brown centrally with white-tipped blackish outer feathers; grey breast and flanks, shading off-white to belly and vent; white supercilium, subocular crescent, indistinct submoustachial and chin to throat, with dark olive-brown cheek, rather diffuse greyish malar; bill black, legs greyish-pink. Sexes similar, male larger. Juvenile is like adult, but scaled dusky above and below. Race tongensis is smaller, paler and shorter-billed than nominate, with stronger malar.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Invertebrates and seeds/fruit. Of 21 stomachs and six faecal samples, 63% held ants, 59% beetles, 48% millipedes, 30% orthopterans, 30% moths, 7% bugs, 7% flies, 7% seeds or fruit, 4% wasps and arachnids. Forages entirely on ground , often on damper leaf mould and soil of gulley bottoms, and sometimes associating with a working mole-rat (Cryptomys) or porcupine; occasionally patters leaf litter with alternating feet (“foot-trembling”).

Song a high, deliberate, varied series of short phrases involving sweet melodious pure whistles ending in high chirps and buzzes; confusable with that of Geokichla gurneyi but starting on higher note and delivered faster; race tongensis tends to sing simpler phrases, often introduced with “skizzz” calls. Song by both sexes, mostly male, throughout year but chiefly Sept–Dec (breeding) and Apr–May (after post-breeding moult); when breeding may sing throughout day, but at other times only at dawn and dusk. Call of nominate a very distinctive, squeaky “ziiit-ziiit-ziiit-ziiit-ziiit”, loud in alarm, soft when as contact or in flight, tongensis a softer, prolonged “skizzzzzzzz”; in anxiety a high, descending “siiiiip”.