Robin In The Woods

Feathered Friends, Old World Flycatcher, Thrushes, Robins and Chats

Burnt orange chest, must be a robin lurking in the wooded area on walks or in the garden.

First up I was told by property owner we were visiting in the Southern Drakensberg this bird is a Cape Robin-chat, on closer inspection of photographs this bird lacks the white speculum separating blackish lores from crown, and is bigger.

My guess being a larger bird it is in fact the Chorister Robin-chat with fiery under-belly plumage, face with no white eyebrow, still not happy with identification.

This bird takes to the tree top early morning and late afternoons to serenade arrival of new day and letting everyone know when it is sun-downer time, but then so do many other species...

Well the tall and short of it all it is not a Robin, not all birds with orange flash colours are robins, a handy forum group of local bird watcher enthusiasts assure me this is an Olive Thrush.

The Olive Thrush (Turdus Olivaceus) obtains a height of approximately 24 cms, only has one partner for life and moves alone or the two together.

Red-capped Robin-chat we have seen in a couple of different locations, locally and on the North Coast holidaying in the iSimangaliso Wetlands region. When walking through thick vegetation quietly one will find them moving in the under-scrub.

Very shy little birds give you little to no time to focus properly, once they see you they are on the move.

Another sparrow sized little bird on the floor of the dune forests of iSimangalio Wetlands region, one and only time I have see one is the White-browed scrub-robin, sat long enough to get but one photograph.

Finally after scratching around my memory, and later later photographs all taken some time back here is the African Stonechat, a busy little fellow of around 13 cm (sparrow size).

African Stonechat move between the long grasses searching out food, mainly insects. This little bird was photographed at Oribi Gorge, down our South Coast when visiting a couple of years ago.

What makes this interesting is in identification, taking note of size, the Robin-chat is about the size of a Sparrow whereas the Thrush are larger. In song they may sound similar leaving one in a quandary. Robins are more closely related to flycatchers however we refer to them as robins.

While researching found all these birds are from Muscicapidae bird family, most were referred to as Old World Flycatcher, Thrushes, Robins, and Chats, found in specific regions in Africa, all photographs are from the KwaZulu-Natal Province where I live.

Please correct me if I am wrong in any identification, photographing and finding out more about our birds has become a hobby.

All photography is my own, any queries or requests please drop a comment below, have a wonderful day!

Thought for Today: "A restless grasshopper eventually ends up in a birds teeth." - African Proverb

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