The grey-winged robin-chat or grey-winged akalat is a bird in the family Muscicapidae. The species was first described by Anton Reichenow in 1892.
Region
Central and East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in equatorial Africa, primarily in evergreen lowland and montane forests from southern Cameroon and Gabon through the Congo Basin to western Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and northwestern Tanzania. It favors dense understory in primary forest, well-grown secondary forest, forest edges, and riverine gallery forest. Birds are most often encountered in shaded gullies, along streams, and in thick tangles of lianas and saplings. It may also persist in logged forest where understory remains intact.
Altitude Range
300–2400 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also known as the grey-winged akalat, this forest robin-chat is a shy understory specialist that can be hard to see but is often detected by its rich, fluty song. It typically keeps to dense thickets and vine tangles, flicking its tail as it forages on or near the ground. The species was described by Anton Reichenow in 1892 and has sometimes been treated under different generic placements in the chat family Muscicapidae.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, usually low through understory
Social Behavior
Typically occurs singly or in pairs within well-defended territories. Nests are placed low, in dense vegetation or on banks and roots, with a cup of plant fibers and leaves. Both adults attend the young, and birds may join mixed-species flocks in dim forest interiors.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A mellow, fluty series of clear whistles and musical phrases delivered from concealed perches, often at dawn. Calls include soft ticks and thin seep notes used for contact in dense cover.
Plumage
Compact, thrush-like chat with warm brown to olive-brown upperparts and a contrasting grey panel across the wings. Underparts are rich orange to rufous, with a paler throat and slightly duskier breast sides. The tail is typically rufous, often flicked and fanned while foraging.
Diet
Primarily takes insects and other small arthropods such as beetles, ants, spiders, and caterpillars. It forages by hopping on the forest floor, gleaning from leaf litter, and snatching prey from low foliage. Occasionally supplements its diet with small fruits or berries when available.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in shaded, dense understory, along stream edges, fallen logs, and forest trails. Often forages in patches of vine tangles and sapling thickets where leaf litter accumulates.
