Photo: pattymcgann / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-capped Robin-Chat
Cossypha natalensis
Red-capped Robin-Chat (Cossypha natalensis) — 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 Red-capped Robin-Chat (Cossypha natalensis) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 34.1 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 Cossypha
- Species natalensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 34.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-capped Robin-Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Red-capped Robin-Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Red-capped Robin-Chat (Cossypha natalensis) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF c, e, s.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 34.1 g, with a wing length of about 9.1 cm and a tail of around 7.5 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 3.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-capped Robin-Chat?
The Red-capped Robin-Chat is a small bird that weighs around 34.1 g.
Where does the Red-capped Robin-Chat live?
The Red-capped Robin-Chat is found across Africa with a range covering AF c, e, s, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Red-capped Robin-Chat belong to?
The Red-capped Robin-Chat (Cossypha natalensis) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Red-capped Robin-Chat eat?
The Red-capped Robin-Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Red-capped Robin-Chat migrate?
The Red-capped Robin-Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Red-capped Robin-Chat 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 Red-capped Robin-Chat make?
1 real field recording of the Red-capped Robin-Chat — 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 Red-capped Robin-Chat's range?
The Red-capped Robin-Chat has a mapped global range of about 3.6 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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Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.