Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown-backed Scrub Robin
Cercotrichas hartlaubi
Brown-backed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas hartlaubi) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown-backed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas hartlaubi) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 19.2 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 Cercotrichas
- Species hartlaubi
Where it lives
Southeastern Nigeria and southern Cameroon to southwestern Central African Republic; northeastern DR Congo to central Kenya and Burundi; northwestern Angola
Quick facts
- Weight
- 19.2 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 Brown-backed Scrub Robin is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Brown-backed Scrub Robin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown-backed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas hartlaubi) is a member of the Muscicapidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF se Nigeria and s Cameroon to sw Central African Republic; ne DR Congo to c Kenya and Burundi; nw Angola.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 19.2 g, with a wing length of about 6.2 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 612,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown-backed Scrub Robin?
The Brown-backed Scrub Robin is a small bird that weighs around 19.2 g.
Where does the Brown-backed Scrub Robin live?
The Brown-backed Scrub Robin is found across Africa with a range covering AF se Nigeria and s Cameroon to sw Central African Republic; ne DR Congo to c Kenya and Burundi; nw Angola, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Brown-backed Scrub Robin belong to?
The Brown-backed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas hartlaubi) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Brown-backed Scrub Robin eat?
The Brown-backed Scrub Robin is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown-backed Scrub Robin migrate?
The Brown-backed Scrub Robin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown-backed Scrub 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 Brown-backed Scrub Robin make?
1 real field recording of the Brown-backed Scrub 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 Brown-backed Scrub Robin's range?
The Brown-backed Scrub Robin has a mapped global range of about 612,000 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.