Photo: (c) Doug Macaulay, some rights reserved (CC BY) / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey-winged Robin-Chat
Sheppardia polioptera
Grey-winged Robin-Chat (Sheppardia polioptera) — 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 Grey-winged Robin-Chat (Sheppardia polioptera) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 18.7 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 Sheppardia
- Species polioptera
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.7 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 Grey-winged Robin-Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Grey-winged Robin-Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grey-winged Robin-Chat (Sheppardia polioptera) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, c.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.7 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 644,000 km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey-winged Robin-Chat?
The Grey-winged Robin-Chat is a small bird that weighs around 18.7 g.
Where does the Grey-winged Robin-Chat live?
The Grey-winged Robin-Chat is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, c, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Grey-winged Robin-Chat belong to?
The Grey-winged Robin-Chat (Sheppardia polioptera) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Grey-winged Robin-Chat eat?
The Grey-winged Robin-Chat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Grey-winged Robin-Chat migrate?
The Grey-winged Robin-Chat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grey-winged 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.
How large is the Grey-winged Robin-Chat's range?
The Grey-winged Robin-Chat has a mapped global range of about 644,000 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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