The snowy-crowned robin-chat (Cossypha niveicapilla) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is also known as the snowy-headed robin-chat. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and moist savanna.
Small bird that is brilliant orange in color with a black “mask-cap” on the head. The very top of it’s head has a “snowy crown” that gives the bird its name.
Both female and male Robin Chats are involved in building the nest, but only the female incubates the eggs. Both parents care for the hatchlings.
The Snowy-crowned Robin-chat is very similar to the White-crowned Robin-chat in appearance and will often be mistaken for each other and found together.
It has an orange belly and throat, a blackhead and a distinctive white crown. They have short black beaks and their mantle and wings are slaty with the centre tail being black.
The young Chats are paler in colour so you will know the adults from the siblings.
They feed mainly on insects such as spiders, caterpillars, centipedes and also arthropods. They also love to enjoy a meal of seeds and grains.
This beautiful little bird rarely lives past two years old.
No comments:
Post a Comment