Juvenile © Steve Collins
Adult © Forest Botial-Jarvis
Adult © Forest Botial-Jarvis
Adult © Ed Harper
+ 2
Adult © Oscar Campbell

Rüppell's Robin-Chat Cossypha semirufa

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Identification

POWERED BY MERLIN

A colorful robin-chat of montane habitats. The head is strikingly patterned, with a black cap and cheek, a white eyebrow, and an orange throat. The tail has a black center and broad orange sides that can be conspicuous in flight. Found in the dense understory of montane forest and in lush woodlands and gardens, usually in pairs. Very similar to White-browed Robin-Chat, but generally found at higher elevations and in more forested environments. Also separated by a different and far more variable song, and by the black rather than greenish center to the tail. The song is complex, variable, and musical, and can include imitations of other birds. Frequently gives a distinctive sequence of whistles in a high-low-high-low pattern.

POWERED BY MERLIN