Rüppell's Robin-Chat

Rüppell's Robin-Chat

Cossypha semirufa

Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Addis Ababa

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

155 Verified sightings at Addis Ababa
1,139 In all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Rüppell's Robin-Chat

Rüppell's robin-chat (Cossypha semirufa) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae, that is native to the Afrotropics. It is named for the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell. It is a smaller version of the White-browed robin-chat, measuring 18 cm rather than 20 cm, with darker, blackish central tail feathers, and in some races a more constricted supercilium behind the eye.

It is native to Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Tanzania. It is found in subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, including Juniper and Podocarpus forest, and in subtropical or tropical moist shrubland and gardens.

There are three races: Cossypha semirufa semirufa Range: Eritrea, Ethiopia, south-eastern South Sudan and northern Kenya Cossypha semirufa donaldsoni Sharpe, 1895 Description: Rufous collar almost complete, upperparts darker than nominate

Range: south-eastern Ethiopia and adjacent Somalia Cossypha semirufa intercedens (Cabanis, 1878) Range: central to south-eastern Kenya and northern Tanzania Wikipedia →

Sounds

Subsong0:13

Kenya · 2026

© Ding Li Yong · XC1180358 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call1:01

Kenya · 2024

© Peter Boesman · XC951419 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:30

Kenya · 2023

© isaac kilusu · XC774767 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~40%
2 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
3 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
4 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~20%
5 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
6 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
7 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Addis Ababa 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~50%
2 Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya
~40%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rüppell's Robin-Chat in Addis Ababa?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Rüppell's Robin-Chat sighting in Addis Ababa on a given day, based on 155 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 14th most-seen of the 109 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Rüppell's Robin-Chat in Addis Ababa?

September–October and December

In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Rüppell's Robin-Chat in Addis Ababa on a given day, against about 30% in January and April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Rüppell's Robin-Chat?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rüppell's Robin-Chat sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Addis Ababa the best place to see a Rüppell's Robin-Chat?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Rüppell's Robin-Chat sightings, Addis Ababa has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Nairobi (Kenya, about 40%).

Which relatives of the Rüppell's Robin-Chat live in Addis Ababa?

Same family: Muscicapidae

The closest relatives of the Rüppell's Robin-Chat that you can see in Addis Ababa (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher (about 40%), African Dusky Flycatcher (about 30%) and Moorland Chat (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Rüppell's Robin-Chat sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rüppell's Robin-Chat is recorded against all the birds logged in Addis Ababa (155 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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