Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a White-throated Robin (Irania gutturalis), male
White-throated Robin, Male

White-throated Robin

Irania gutturalis

The White-throated Robin, or Irania, is a small, migratory passerine bird with a notable sexual dimorphism. The male is adorned with lead-grey upperparts, a striking black face contrasted by a white throat and supercilium, and vibrant orange underparts. The tail and strong bill are also black. The female, however, is more subdued in coloration, displaying mainly grey plumage with a black tail, subtle hints of orange on the flanks, and some white throat streaks.

Identification Tips

When identifying the White-throated Robin, look for the male's distinctive black and white face pattern and orange underparts. The female can be recognized by her greyer appearance with less pronounced orange hues. Both sexes have a black tail and a robust bill, which can be helpful distinguishing features.

Habitat

During the breeding season, the White-throated Robin favors dry rocky slopes adorned with shrubbery, often at higher altitudes. In its wintering grounds in East Africa, it can be found in closed thickets in arid regions, typically within Acacia-Commiphora woodlands on the dry central plateau.

Distribution

This species breeds from Turkey to Afghanistan in western Asia and migrates to East Africa to overwinter. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, and its presence there is often noted with great interest by birdwatchers.

Behaviour

The White-throated Robin is known for its migratory nature, traversing great distances between its breeding and wintering habitats. It is also a solitary bird, often observed foraging alone or singing from a secluded perch.

Song & Calls

The male White-throated Robin serenades with a rapid twittering song, typically performed from a bush or during flight. Its call is a distinctive "chis-it" double note, reminiscent of the pied wagtail.

Breeding

In its breeding habitat, the White-throated Robin constructs its nest within a shrub, where it lays a clutch of 4-5 eggs. The selection of dry, bush-studded slopes for nesting sites provides both shelter and a vantage point for the male's vocal displays.

Similar Species

While there are no similar species mentioned, one should take care not to confuse the White-throated Robin with other sympatric chats or flycatchers that share its habitat.

Diet and Feeding

Primarily insectivorous, the White-throated Robin's diet consists of various insects. However, it adapts its diet to include fruit during the autumn months, demonstrating a level of dietary flexibility.

Conservation status

The White-throated Robin is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, indicating that, at present, there are no immediate threats to its population numbers on a global scale.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

White-throated Robins on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Chats, Old World Flycatchers

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
Erna M
I really like Birda
I really like Birda. I also use other birding apps and have Birda with E-bird going at the same time.
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Abi.M
Awesome App
I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.