The olive-flanked ground robin, also known as the olive-flanked robin-chat, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Malawi, and Mozambique. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests.
Region
Southeast Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in the montane and submontane forests of southern Malawi and adjacent northern Mozambique. It favors dense, moist understory with abundant leaf-litter, forest edges, and gullies within evergreen forest. The species is patchily distributed among isolated highlands and is often absent from disturbed or heavily fragmented stands. It may use adjacent secondary growth if sufficient cover is available, but core populations remain in mature forest.
Altitude Range
900–2400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the olive-flanked robin-chat, this shy understory bird keeps to dense leaf-litter and tangled thickets in montane forests. It is associated with the Eastern Afromontane "sky islands" of Malawi and adjacent Mozambique, where it forages mostly on or near the ground. Its presence often indicates intact, moist high-elevation forest. Habitat loss and forest degradation are the main concerns for its long-term persistence.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, darting flights
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories within dense understory. Pairs are monogamous during the breeding season and nest low, often close to the ground in banks or dense vegetation. They spend much time quietly foraging on the forest floor, flicking the tail and pausing to listen.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A sweet, mellow series of whistles and slurred phrases delivered from concealed perches, often at dawn and dusk. Calls include sharp ticking notes and soft chucks when alarmed.
Plumage
Dusky olive-brown upperparts with a warm rufous rump and tail; underparts pale buff to whitish with distinct olive-washed flanks. The face is grayish with a subtle pale eyebrow and a clean whitish throat. Feathers are soft and plain, lacking bold wing bars, aiding camouflage in leaf-litter.
Diet
Primarily takes ground-dwelling insects such as beetles, ants, termites, and caterpillars, along with spiders and other small arthropods. It may occasionally consume small berries, especially when insect prey is scarce. Foraging involves gleaning, pouncing, and flicking aside leaves to expose hidden prey.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in shaded leaf-litter of evergreen montane forest, along damp gullies, and at edges with dense shrub layers. It also uses vine tangles and fallen logs where prey accumulates.
