The rufous-breasted bush robin is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, southwestern China, northeast India, northern Myanmar and Nepal. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.
Region
Eastern Himalayas and Southwest China
Typical Environment
Occurs from Nepal and Bhutan through northeast India and northern Myanmar to southwestern China, with records in Bangladesh foothill forests. Breeds in cool, moist temperate broadleaf and mixed conifer forests with dense undergrowth. In winter it descends to lower elevations, using forest edges, thickets, bamboo, and scrub near streams. It favors shaded, cluttered understories where it can forage discreetly.
Altitude Range
1000–3600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small, shy bush-robin of the Himalayan foothills and southwestern China, it keeps to dense undergrowth and is often detected by its high, delicate song. Males show a striking rufous breast, while females are more subdued brown with a warm wash on the underparts. It undertakes short-distance or altitudinal movements between breeding forests and lower wintering slopes.
From Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, East Sikkim, India.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Generally solitary or in pairs during the breeding season, holding small territories in dense understory. Nests low in shrubs, roots, or banks, often well concealed. Outside breeding, it remains unobtrusive, sometimes loosely associating with mixed-species flocks in understory.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Song is a delicate, high-pitched series of clear whistles and thin trills given from low perches. Calls include soft ticking notes and thin seee contact calls.
Plumage
Male with rich rufous-orange breast and throat contrasting with darker upperparts and bluish tones on the face and tail; whitish belly. Female is brown-olive above with a warm rufous wash on the breast and paler underparts; both sexes show fine, neat feathering and a slender appearance.
Diet
Primarily feeds on small arthropods such as beetles, caterpillars, ants, and spiders gleaned from leaf litter and low foliage. It makes short sallies to snatch prey and also hops along the ground to pick items from the litter. In the non-breeding season it may supplement its diet with small berries and other soft fruits.
Preferred Environment
Dense understory of temperate and mixed forests, including rhododendron, bamboo thickets, and damp gullies. Often near forest edges and along shaded stream banks where cover is abundant.
