Kalahari Scrub Robin

Afrikaans name: Kalahariwipstert

Kalahari Scrub Robin at Pilanesberg Nature Reserve

Photo © Steven Herbert

Cercotrichas paena

The Kalahari Scrub Robin is found in dry Acacia savanna in South Africa. It favours areas where there are bushes and scrub with open patches in between. They are a common species occuring in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia.

It is often seen hopping along the ground looking for food which is made up of insects and spiders. They like to be near cover and will dart into a thicket at any sign of a threat.

They make their nests in a thicket, normally just above the ground. The nest is made from twigs, grass and leaves and is not the neatest structure in the bird world. The inside is lined with softer materials such as hair and thin roots. The female lays 2 to 4 eggs and she is totally responsible for incubating them.

Kalahari Scrub Robins are often seen on the ground

Photo © Steven Herbert

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References and further reading

A First Guide to South African Birds - 7th Edition - Author: Leonard Gill - Year Published: 1975 - Page: 67

Collins Illustrated Checklist - Birds of Southern Africa - 1st edition - Author: Ber van Perlo - Year Published: 1999 - Page: 57

Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 5th Edition - Author: Gordon Lindsay Maclean - Year Published: 1985 - Page: 537

Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 6th Edition - Author: Gordon Lindsay Maclean - Year Published: 1993 - Page: 533

Sasol Birds of Southern Africa - 4th Edition - Author: Ian Sinclair et al. - Year Published: 2011 - Page: 330

List of South African Birds