Bird of the Week – Chorister robin – chat
The bird's Zulu name is uMananda and in Afrikaans, lawaaimakerjanfredrik.
CHRISTMAS is always associated with the red robins so appropriately we give you arguably our most beautiful robin.
Most choristers in South Africa live here in KZN.
Those of you heading up to the Drakensberg are bound to see them. The song is easily confused with the Natal robin. A ratchet-like ‘chr-r-r chr-r-r’ alarm note, rich whistling and melodious, piping trills incorporating much imitating of other forest birds, the chorister robin – chat is highly vocal in summer.
They favour a habitat of evergreen forests, especially in a mist belt. They are usually solitary and are more often heard than seen.
The bird feeds on insects, spiders, ticks, fruit in winter and braai scraps.
They breed from October to January, laying two to three chocolate brown or olive green eggs. The nest is a shallow cup of roots and plant fibre, in a hole or cavity of a tree trunk.
They are nestlings for 14 days and are fed by both parents.
The bird’s Zulu name is uMananda and in Afrikaans, lawaaimakerjanfredrik.
