Photo: Alan Manson / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-starred Robin
Pogonocichla stellata
White-starred Robin (Pogonocichla stellata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-starred Robin (Pogonocichla stellata) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 18.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Pogonocichla
- Species stellata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-starred Robin is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-starred Robin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-starred Robin (Pogonocichla stellata) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e, se.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.6 g, with a wing length of about 7.9 cm and a tail of around 6.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-starred Robin?
The White-starred Robin is a small bird that weighs around 18.6 g.
Where does the White-starred Robin live?
The White-starred Robin is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, se, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the White-starred Robin belong to?
The White-starred Robin (Pogonocichla stellata) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-starred Robin eat?
The White-starred Robin is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-starred Robin migrate?
The White-starred Robin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-starred Robin endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the White-starred Robin make?
1 real field recording of the White-starred Robin — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-starred Robin's range?
The White-starred Robin has a mapped global range of about 1.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.