White-throated robin

Irania gutturalis

Photo by Abdul Al-Sirha (Kuwait Bird Sightings)

Common name:
white-throated robin (en); rouxinol-de-garganta-branca (pt); iranie à gorge blanche (fr); ruiseñor pintado (es); weißkehlsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This Asian species breeds from Turkey and Israel, through the Caucasus, northern Iraq and Iran, and into northern Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and southern Kazakhstan. They migrate south to winter in East Africa, from Ethiopia to Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 16-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 27-30 cm. They weigh around 22 g.

Habitat:
White-throated robins are found in arid rocky areas, deserts, dry savannas and scrublands, dry grasslands and occasionally in agricultural areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.700 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, mainly taking insects and other arthropods, but also fruits.

Breeding:
White-throated robins breed in April-July. They nest in a cup of dry grass leaves, twigs, and bark, placed in a tree crevice, stump or branch, and lined with vegetable down and hair, often some feathers, bits of rag, paper, and sheep wool. There the female lays 3-5 eggs, which are mainly incubated by the female for 12-15 days. The chicks fledge 9-10 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single clutch per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and global population estimated at 2,5-11 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.