Bearded Scrub Robin

Bearded Scrub Robin

Erythropygia quadrivirgata

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

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Tsavo East National Park

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

6 Verified sightings at Tsavo East National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,422 In all 16 parks
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Bearded Scrub Robin

The bearded scrub robin (Tychaedon quadrivirgata), also known as the eastern bearded scrub robin, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in eastern and southern Africa. This species was formerly placed in the genus Cercotrichas.

This species was described as Thamnobia quadrivirgata by the German ornithologist Anton Reichenow in 1879. It was formerly placed in the genus Erythropygia. It forms a superspecies with the forest scrub robin, miombo scrub robin and brown scrub robin. The specific epithet quadrivirgata means "four-striped" in Latin. The species is so named because of four diagnostic stripes on its face.

Its length is 15–17 cm (5.9–6.7 in), and its weight is approximately 20–31 g (0.71–1.09 oz). The male and female are alike, with the female being slightly smaller. The crown and upperparts are mostly dark olive-brown. The tail is dark brown, with the outer feathers having white tips. The wing coverts are grey-brown with olive-brown edges. The flight feathers are dark brown... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:05

South Africa · 2024

© Sally Adam · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:09

Eswatini · 2026

© Phil White · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:20

South Africa · 2024

© Heinrich Human · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 uMkhuze Game Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
2 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
3 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
4 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
5 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~10%
6 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
7 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
8 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~10%
9 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
10 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
11 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
12 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
13 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
14 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
15 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
16 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mombasa 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
2 Dar es-Salaam 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Bearded Scrub Robin in Tsavo East National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Bearded Scrub Robin sighting in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 322nd most-seen of the 345 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Bearded Scrub Robin in Tsavo East National Park?

April and September

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bearded Scrub Robin in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–August and October–March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Bearded Scrub Robin?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bearded Scrub Robin 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 Tsavo East National Park the best place to see a Bearded Scrub Robin?

15th of 16

Of the 16 parks where we can rate Bearded Scrub Robin sightings, Tsavo East National Park ranks 15th at under 5%. The best odds are in uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 30%), Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 20%) and Mana Pools National Park (Zimbabwe, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Bearded Scrub Robin live in Tsavo East National Park?

Same genus: Erythropygia

The closest relatives of the Bearded Scrub Robin that you can see in Tsavo East National Park (genus Erythropygia) are White-browed Scrub Robin (about 20%) and Rufous Bush Chat (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Bearded Scrub Robin sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Bearded Scrub Robin is recorded against all the birds logged in Tsavo East National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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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