Family Old World Flycatchers and Chats (Muscicapidae)
Least Concern
Rusty-flanked Robin-chat (Dessonornis macclounii)
Taxonomy
French: Cossyphe de MacClounie German: Rostflankenrötel Spanish: Cosifa flanquirroja
Taxonomy:
Callene macclounii
Shelley
, 1903,Nwenembe, 7500 feet [c. 2285 m], Malawi
.
Subspecies and Distribution
D. m. grotei
Reichenow, 1932 – Grote's Robin-chat – E & S Tanzania (Ukaguru and Uluguru Mts to Udzungwa Mts S to Njombe and Songea).
D. m. macclounii
(Shelley, 1903) – MacClounie's Robin-chat – SW Tanzania (Tukuyu), N Malawi (Nyika and Viphya Plateaux) and adjacent NE Zambia.
Descriptive notes
14–15 cm; 17·5–29 g (nominate), 22·5–28 g (grotei). Adult has mainly dark grey upperparts including forecrown (darker anteriorly), black or blackish-grey head-sides... read more
Voice
Song of nominate is similar to, or slightly shorter than, that of formerly conspecific D.... read more
Habitat
Montane evergreen forest, forest patches, edges and adjacent gardens, at 1000–2600 m; mainly above... read more
Food and feeding
Only insects reported. Forages mainly on ground or on logs, but frequently ascends into middle strata to glean on creeper-laden and moss-... read more
Breeding
Season Jul and Oct–Dec in Tanzania; late Nov–early Jan on Nyika Plateau, in Malawi, and from Oct on Zambian side. Territory size 0·25–2·5... read more
Movements
Sedentary on Nyika Plateau, in Malawi; retrapped birds moved 0–620 m (mean 150 m) from initial... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Restricted-range species: confined to Tanzania–Malawi mountains EBA. Overall range estimated to encompass c. 212,000 km². Population... read more
Hitherto treated as conspecific with D. anomalus and D. mbuluensis, but (along with D. mbuluensis) differs from D. anomalus by its (olive-tinged) dull dark grey vs dull olive-rufous upperparts (2); clear white vs white-tinged narrow grey supercilium (3); blackish vs grey face and moustachial area (2); more intense white of throat (and extending more onto upper breast in D. macclounii) (ns[1–2]); less extensive grey of breast (much darker in D. mbuluensis) with more white on mid-belly (ns[1–2]); more rufous, less olive-ochreish lower flanks and undertail-coverts (ns[1–2]). Race grotei greyer on crown and back, more chestnut on rump, vent and in tail, and possibly distinct vocally; further study may accord it species rank. Two subspecies recognized.