26-12-2023 NGALA LODGE, GAMBIA - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (Cossypha albicapillus)

The white-crowned robin-chat (Cossypha albicapillus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Togo. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland. 

The largest of the 14 species of robin-chat with a total body length of nearly 11 inches, it has a black head with a conspicuous white crown, black back, wings and tail and an orange belly. The sexes are similar.

The White-crowned Robin-chat (Cossypha albicapilla), also known as White-crowned Robin, is widespread and common in West African countries including Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo. The species is found in woodlands, gallery forests, moist shrub lands, and dry savannahs.

27-12-2023 NGALA LODGE, GAMBIA - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT

The white-crowned robin-chat (Cossypha albicapillus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Togo. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.

31-12-2023 NGALA LODGE, GAMBIA - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (Cossypha albicapillus)

A large and colorful robin-chat with a black face mask that continues onto the chin. The color of the crown is pure white in the far western part of the range, and white with black markings elsewhere. A shy bird of dense thickets, gardens, and forest, often along rivers and streams. Similar to Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, but larger, usually with black markings in the white crown, and with a black rather than orange chin. Usually detected by song, a fast and complex mix of musical whistles.

The white-crowned robin-chat is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Togo. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.

 

A large and colorful robin-chat with a black face mask that continues onto the chin. The color of the crown is pure white in the far western part of the range, and white with black markings elsewhere. A shy bird of dense thickets, gardens, and forest, often along rivers and streams. Similar to Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, but larger, usually with black markings in the white crown, and with a black rather than orange chin. Usually detected by song, a fast and complex mix of musical whistles.

21-12-2023 NGALA LODGE, GAMBIA - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (Cossypha albicapillus)

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. 

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (Cossypha albicapillus) COURTESY VALERIE FISHER

The white-crowned robin-chat (Cossypha albicapillus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Togo. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.

21-12-2022 KOTU, GAMBIA - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (MALE)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/367670-Cossypha-albicapillus

23-12-2022 NGALA LODGE, GAMBIA - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (Cossypha albicapillus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/367670-Cossypha-albicapillus

28-4-2022 NGALA LODGE, GAMBIA - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (Cossypha albicapillus)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/367670-Cossypha-albicapillus

24-4-2022 NGALA LODGE, GAMBIA - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (Cossypha albicapillus)

The white-crowned robin-chat (Cossypha albicapilla ) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Togo.Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.

Robin-Chats are one of the few birds who eats of of a mainly insectivorous diet.  Robin chats were once classified in the thrush family but are now considered members of Family Muscicapidae, the Old World flycatchers.

22-4-2022 MANDINA LODGE, GAMBIA - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (Cossypha albicapillus)

The white-crowned robin-chat (Cossypha albicapilla ) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Togo.Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.

Robin-Chats are one of the few birds who eats of of a mainly insectivorous diet.  Robin chats were once classified in the thrush family but are now considered members of Family Muscicapidae, the Old World flycatchers.

The white-crowned robin-chat is the largest of the 14 species of robin-chat. It has a black head with a white crown, black back, wings and tail and an orange belly. The sexes are similar.

The robin-chats appear to be monogamous and territorial during the breeding season, but sometimes gather into small feeding flocks during the winter. The female lays two somewhat glossy grey-green eggs with violet spots in a cup shaped stick nest.

3-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (Cossypha albicapillus)

The white-crowned robin-chat (Cossypha albicapillus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Togo. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.

Although widespread, very little is known about the White-crowned Robin Chat. Neither population nor breeding information information is available. Taxonomically, robin chats were once thought to belong to the Thrush family. However recent studies have shown that they are more closely related to the Old World flycatchers.

Widespread this species inhabit eleven countries in the northern part of Africa. Although there have been no formal population studies the white-crowned robin chat is quite common throughout its range.

A large and colorful robin-chat with a black face mask that continues onto the chin. The color of the crown is pure white in the far western part of the range, and white with black markings elsewhere. A shy bird of dense thickets, gardens, and forest, often along rivers and streams. Similar to Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, but larger, usually with black markings in the white crown, and with a black rather than orange chin. Usually detected by song, a fast and complex mix of musical whistles. 

28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (Cossypha albicapillus)

The white-crowned robin-chat (Cossypha albicapilla ) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Togo.Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.

The white-crowned robin-chat (Cossypha albicapillus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Togo. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.

It has typically been assumed to be monogamous. However, at least one instance of cooperative breeding and possible multiple paternity has been observed.

A large and colorful robin-chat with a black face mask that continues onto the chin. The color of the crown is pure white in the far western part of the range, and white with black markings elsewhere. A shy bird of dense thickets, gardens, and forest, often along rivers and streams. Similar to Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, but larger, usually with black markings in the white crown, and with a black rather than orange chin. Usually detected by song, a fast and complex mix of musical whistles.

White-crowned Robin-chat primarily feeds on a diet of insects, with a particular preference for termites and ants. It forages on the ground, flipping over leaves and debris to locate its prey. Its unique adaptation lies in its skilled hunting technique.

White-crowned Robin-chat typically inhabits a variety of wooded environments, ranging from thickets and gallery forests in regions receiving annual rainfall between 300–500 mm, to dry savanna-woodlands. Its preferred habitats also include dense riverine scrubs, overgrown plantations, and gardens with rich, shady undergrowth. White-crowned Robin-chat is adaptable and can be found from sea level up to an altitude of around 950 meters, with the race omoensis occupying woodland thickets in rocky hills, at approximately 1500 meters.

3-12-2015 SINGAPORE - WHITE CROWNED ROBIN CHAT (Cossypha albicapillus)

The white-crowned robin-chat (Cossypha albicapillus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Togo. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.

Although widespread, very little is known about the White-crowned Robin Chat. Neither population nor breeding information information is available. Taxonomically, robin chats were once thought to belong to the Thrush family. However recent studies have shown that they are more closely related to the Old World flycatchers.

Widespread this species inhabit eleven countries in the northern part of Africa. Although there have been no formal population studies the white-crowned robin chat is quite common throughout its range.

A large and colorful robin-chat with a black face mask that continues onto the chin. The color of the crown is pure white in the far western part of the range, and white with black markings elsewhere. A shy bird of dense thickets, gardens, and forest, often along rivers and streams. Similar to Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, but larger, usually with black markings in the white crown, and with a black rather than orange chin. Usually detected by song, a fast and complex mix of musical whistles. 

A large and colorful robin-chat with a black face mask that continues onto the chin. The color of the crown is pure white in the far western part of the range, and white with black markings elsewhere. A shy bird of dense thickets, gardens, and forest, often along rivers and streams. 

Similar to Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, but larger, usually with black markings in the white crown, and with a black rather than orange chin. Usually detected by song, a fast and complex mix of musical whistles.