Rufous Bush Robin

The Rufous Bush Robin belongs to the Muscicapidae family in the Passeriformes order. It is 15-17 cm in size and 20-24 grams in weight. The Rufous Bush Robin is a slender bird with a light brown or grayish back, lighter abdomen, and the rusty tail and rump for which it got its named. The rusty, graduated tail is long, and usually held upwards and spread like a fan, showing off the black and white feather tips (of all but the two central feathers). The Bush Robin has a white brow stripe, a black eye-stripe and white cheeks and throat. Its long legs are well suited to jumping and searching for food on the ground. The long narrow beak is suited for the major component of its diet, insects. The Rufous Bush Robin resembles the nightingale in its color, size, and its tendency to spend most of its time on the ground. The facial markings, the distinctive tail and the longer, narrower beak distinguish between the two. The Bush Robin is an insectivore which spends much of its time hunting insects on the ground. The spring migration is mostly in April and May, and the fall migration takes place during the months of August-September. The breeding season is from April to September, enabling many couples to raise two clutches of eggs. The Bush Robin breeds in the area of southern Europe, east through Turkey, the Levant, to Pakistan and Kazakhstan. It also breeds in northern Africa. These populations usually migrate to winter south of the Sahara Desert, India, and the Arabian Peninsula. In Africa there are also resident populations. The use of dangerous insecticides had devastating consequences on the populations of many wild animals, including the Rufous Bush Robin. The population has recovered with the changes in the substances used and new technology. The population has expanded into dryer areas and places inhabited by man.

International conservation status: LC

Regional conservation status: NT

Migratory behaviour: Breeder