White-browed scrub robin
The white-browed scrub robin (Cercotrichas leucophrys), also known as the red-backed scrub-robin, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa, especially East and southern Africa. Within range, its Turdus-like song is one of the often-heard sounds of the bush. The flitting of the tail is characteristic of this species, but also of some near relatives. Taxonomy Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot described the white-browed scrub robin in 1817. The specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek words leukos "white" and ǒphrys "eyebrow". Subspecies For the white-browed scrub robin, some 9 to 12 subspecies are recognized: Two groups of subspecies are recognised, namely the 'white-winged' group of arid country, and the 'red-backed' group of mesic to moist habitats. Intergradation between these is apparently limited to subspecies brunneiceps and vulpina around Simba, Kenya. Otherwise the variation is clinal, though the extremes may be quite distinct. 'White-winged' group C. l. leucoptera (Rüppell, 1845) – arid woodlands, from South Sudan to Lake Turkana and Horn of Africa C. l. eluta (Bowen, 1934) – dry woodlands, from Ethiopia to s Somalia and Tana River, Kenya C. l. vulpina (Reichenow, 1891) – dry woodlands of eastern Kenyan and Tanzanian interior 'Red-backed' group C. l. brunneiceps (Reichenow, 1891) – along Rift valley and Crater Highlands to Mt Meru C. l. sclateri (Grote, 1930) – Mbulu Highlands to Tarangire in Tanzanian interior C. l. zambesiana (Sharpe, 1882) – West of Rift Valley and along Great Lakes to east coast (South Sudan to central Mozambique) C. l. munda (Cabanis, 1880) – southern Gabon to central Angola C. l. ovamboensis (Neumann, 1920) – parts of Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe C. l. leucophrys (Vieillot, 1817) – southern Zimbabwe and Mozambique to southern South Africa Following Clancey, the nominate subspecies is sometimes restricted to the Eastern Cape region, and the following subspecies are then distinguished from it: C. l. pectoralis (A.Smith, 1836) – southern Zimbabwe, eastern Botswana and northern South Africa C. l. simulator Clancey, 1964 – southern Mozambique and Eswatini C. l. streptitans Clancey, 1975 – KwaZulu-Natal Description The white-browed scrub robin measures 14.0–16.5 cm from bill tip to tail tip and the sexes are alike. The pale superciliary stripe is distinct, and the crown may be warm brown, olive brown or greyish brown. The wings are dusky but well-marked. Greater and lesser wing coverts always white-tipped, but the secondaries with or without white edging. Amount of streaking on the breast is very variable, in subsp. ovamboensis it is reduced to fine streaking encircling the throat. The breast and flanks are washed with a variable amount of tawny buff. The mantle and back is brownish to hazel or rufous, depending on the subspecies. The tail is greyish brown to rufous, with a black subterminal band and white feather tips and corners. Juveniles are mottled but with the tail pattern of adults. Distribution and habitat The white-browed scrub robin is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Djibouti, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon,