Kalahari Scrub-robin
Encyclopedia
The Kalahari Scrub-robin (Erythropygia paena) is a species of bird
in the Muscicapidae family. It is sometimes known as the Sandy Scrub-robin.
It is found in southern Angola
, Botswana
, Namibia
, northern South Africa
, and Zimbabwe
, where it occurs in sandveld with low trees and scrub, on the edges of woodland, and in savanna. It will also inhabit human-altered environments including old fields and gardens. The species is common and not considered threatened by human activities.
The Kalahari Scrub-robin is a seasonal breeder, with the season stretching from August to February, and peaking in November, also the peak of the wet season. The species is monogamous
and territorial
, with territory sizes varying from 0.7 - 4.3 ha. Females are responsible for constructing the nest
, which are weaved of shrubs and grasses and placed in low thorny bushes. The nest building stage takes around 5 days. The average clutch size is around 2 eggs, although clutch size is bigger later in the season. Only the female incubates
the eggs, the male defends the nest, aggressively attacking intruders and warning when predators approach. The incubation lasts around 12 days. Having hatched the female removes the eggshells from the nests and drops them away from the nest to disguise the nest from potential predators. After hatching the female broods the chicks for a between 3–7 days. Both parents help in feeding the chicks and removing the faecal sacks. The chicks are altricial and take around 12 days to fledge
.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the Muscicapidae family. It is sometimes known as the Sandy Scrub-robin.
It is found in southern Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, northern South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, where it occurs in sandveld with low trees and scrub, on the edges of woodland, and in savanna. It will also inhabit human-altered environments including old fields and gardens. The species is common and not considered threatened by human activities.
The Kalahari Scrub-robin is a seasonal breeder, with the season stretching from August to February, and peaking in November, also the peak of the wet season. The species is monogamous
Monogamy
Monogamy /Gr. μονός+γάμος - one+marriage/ a form of marriage in which an individual has only one spouse at any one time. In current usage monogamy often refers to having one sexual partner irrespective of marriage or reproduction...
and territorial
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
, with territory sizes varying from 0.7 - 4.3 ha. Females are responsible for constructing the nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
, which are weaved of shrubs and grasses and placed in low thorny bushes. The nest building stage takes around 5 days. The average clutch size is around 2 eggs, although clutch size is bigger later in the season. Only the female incubates
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
the eggs, the male defends the nest, aggressively attacking intruders and warning when predators approach. The incubation lasts around 12 days. Having hatched the female removes the eggshells from the nests and drops them away from the nest to disguise the nest from potential predators. After hatching the female broods the chicks for a between 3–7 days. Both parents help in feeding the chicks and removing the faecal sacks. The chicks are altricial and take around 12 days to fledge
Fledge
Fledge is the stage in a young bird's life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. It also describes the act of a chick's parents raising it to a fully grown state...
.