Skip to main content

Photo: Dûrzan cîrano / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

The Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas galactotes) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 20.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
  4. Genus Cercotrichas
  5. Species galactotes

Where it lives

South-central, southwestern

Quick facts

Weight
20.3 g
Family
Muscicapidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Rufous-tailed 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 uses a wide range of foraging strategies.

Migration

The Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas galactotes) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL sc, sw.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 20.3 g, with a wing length of about 8.6 cm and a tail of around 7.1 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 9.2 million km².

Songs & calls

Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin — Song

Recorded by Stanislas Wroza Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin?

The Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin is a small bird that weighs around 20.3 g.

Where does the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin live?

The Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL sc, sw, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin belong to?

The Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas galactotes) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin eat?

The Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin migrate?

The Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Rufous-tailed 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 Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin make?

1 real field recording of the Rufous-tailed 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 Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin's range?

The Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin has a mapped global range of about 9.2 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Muscicapidae

More in Songbirds

Guides for this bird

Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds

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.

4 min read

Meet the Muscicapidae

A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.

1 min read

Back to top