The white-starred robin is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher and chat family Muscicapidae. It is also sometimes more simply called the starred robin. It is monotypic within the genus Pogonocichla. There are around twelve subspecies. The species is found in East and southern Africa. It occurs in forested areas in the Afromontane of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a brightly coloured robin with a bright yellow breast and belly, a slate coloured head with spots on the eyes and throat and blueish wings.
Region
Eastern and Southern African Afromontane
Typical Environment
Found discontinuously across the Afromontane belt from the Albertine Rift (e.g., eastern DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda) and highlands of Kenya and Tanzania south through Malawi to the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique. It favors mature evergreen and bamboo forests, forest edges, and mossy ravines with dense understory. Birds often keep close to shaded gullies and streamside thickets. Local movements up and down slopes occur with seasonal changes in rainfall and fruiting/insect abundance.
Altitude Range
800–3200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This species is the sole member of the genus Pogonocichla and shows striking white 'stars' on the cheeks and throat that give it its name. It inhabits Afromontane forests and often joins mixed-species flocks while foraging in dense undergrowth. Although generally sedentary, some populations make small altitudinal movements following food availability.
P. s. chirindensis in Zimbabwe
Moist forest and forest edge is the principal habitat. This forest at Mount Kilimanjaro is home to an endemic subspecies of the white-starred robin.
Red-chested cuckoos will parasitise the nests of white-starred robins.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs within well-defined territories, though it may join mixed-species foraging parties. Nests are neat cups placed low in dense vegetation or on banks. Both parents feed the young, and males sing prominently from concealed perches in the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rich, melodious series of clear whistles and trills delivered at a measured pace. Calls include thin, high seeps and soft ticks given from cover, especially at dawn and dusk.
