Cape robin-chats (“gewone Janfrederik”) are master singers and have one of the most beautiful songs of all garden birds.
The Afrikaans name, Janfrederik, has been derived from the rhythm and syllables of the call (Turr-da-da, Jan-fred-erik). They are good mimics and have been known to imitate the calls of other garden birds.
Like the Karoo thrush (Karoolyster), the robin-chat is a common species in gardens. The robin and thrush belong to the same family, Muscicapidae, both being largely ground dwellers with slender bills and beautiful songs.
They can live up to 12 to 14 years, but birds as old as 17 years have been recorded.
The robin-chat is quite distinctive, having a dark greyish back and belly with a bright orange chest, prominent white eyebrow, and an orange and black tail which it frequently raises after coming to a stop or landing on a branch. The male and female look alike, but the juvenile is is duller, lacks any eyebrow and has buffy spots above and below.
The robin-chat feeds on the ground and likes areas with leaf-litter, turning over leaves to find insects and probing the soil for grubs and earthworms. It can be frequently seen on lawns and loves to come to bird feeders with fruit, and regularly bathes in bird baths.
It can be heard at first light, forming part of the “dawn chorus”, and singing at dusk. The song is flute-like with numerous whistles and variation of high-pitched notes and phrases.
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