Species guide
Cape Robin-Chat: how to recognise it
A bird of Africa. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Ad Konings · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Dessonornis caffer
- Family
- Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats
- Size
- About 16–18 cm
- Habitat
- Gardens, forest edges and scrub
- Found in
- Africa
The key marks
Grey-brown above with an orange breast and face, a white eyebrow and a grey belly.
Voice
A rich, liquid, whistled song, often at dawn.
Good to know
It is a bold garden bird in southern Africa, and its song includes mimicry of other birds.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in gardens, forest edges and scrub. It is especially common in South Africa. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.