Karoo scrub robin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Karoo scrub robin |
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| In Namaqua N. P., South Africa | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cercotrichas
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| Species: |
coryphoeus
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| Synonyms | |
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Erythropygia coryphoeus |
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The Karoo scrub robin (also called the Karoo robin) is a small bird. Its scientific name is Cercotrichas coryphoeus. It belongs to the Muscicapidae family, which includes Old World flycatchers and chats. You can find this bird in countries like Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. It loves to live in dry areas with shrubs and bushes. The Karoo scrub robin is not considered an endangered species.
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What Does the Karoo Scrub Robin Look Like?
This bird is about 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) long. It weighs around 19 grams (0.67 ounces). Its upper body is a dull greyish-brown color. It has a thin white stripe above its eye. This stripe is called a supercilium. There is also a thin black line through its eye. Below its eye, you might see a small white ring.
The tail is darker than its back. Its wings are brown. The underside of its wings is a dull buffy brown. The Karoo scrub robin has a black beak and brown eyes. Its legs and feet are also black.
How Does the Karoo Scrub Robin Sing?
The songs of these birds can be different for each one. They often make calls like chip, swee-chipswirraree, or seeep-seeep-treeeeyer. They usually repeat these calls many times.
Where Does the Karoo Scrub Robin Live?
The Karoo scrub robin likes open ground with plants about 1 meter (3 feet) tall. You can find it in the low shrublands of the Karoo and Namaqualand. These areas are in South Africa. Sometimes, they are also seen near tall plants. These plants grow at the bottom of farm dam walls.
What Does the Karoo Scrub Robin Eat?
This bird finds almost all its food on the ground. Its diet is mostly made up of insects. It especially likes worker ants. It picks these ants from the ground surface. It also eats termites, beetles, caterpillars, moths, and small grasshoppers.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Karoo scrub robins usually mate with only one partner. They often stay on their territory year after year. They build open, cup-shaped nests. These nests are often deep and placed on platforms of twigs. They line their nests with fine, dry grass, leaf pieces, and moss.
The female bird lays between 2 and 4 oval eggs. The eggs are a beautiful aquamarine or turquoise color. They have brown spots and blotches on them.
