Bird of the Week – White-browed robin-chat
Breeding is from September to January.
FORMERLY known as Heuglin's robin, the white-browed robin-chat is distributed from Zululand northwards through eastern Swaziland, the Kruger National Park, the whole of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Northern Botswana.
The Heuglin's song is very rich and melodious and it's regarded as one of the best avian singers in the world. Its song starts with a variable crescendo of phrases, quiet piping notes which increase in volume and tempo, then suddenly ending, such as 'it's up to you, it's up to you, up to you, up to you'. They sing from a low perch in a tree or bush, mainly at dawn and dusk.
This robin loves dense riverine bush, evergreen thickets and gardens, and they are seldom seen as they forage on the ground in thick cover. Food preferences are insects, spiders, centipedes, worms, fruit, small frogs and lizards.
Breeding is from September to January. They may raise two broods per season. Two buffy olive eggs are laid in a cup-shaped nest made with leaves, twigs, and moss.
The incubation is 14 to 17 days and they are nestlings for 13 to 17 days.
The bird's Zulu name is uMananda and in Afrikaans, heuglinse Janfredrick.
For next week's Christmas edition, look out for the column featuring our very own Natal robin.
