Kingdom Animalia Genus Irania
Filippi, 1863 Phylum Chordata Rank Species | Family Muscicapidae Scientific name Irania gutturalis Higher classification Irania Order Passerine | |
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Similar Kurdish wheatear, Menetries's warbler, Upcher's warbler, Caspian plover, Bar‑tailed lark | ||
Legendary white throated robin twitch
The white-throated robin (Irania gutturalis) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family, Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, family Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chats.
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The genus name Irania is from Iran, the type locality, and the specific gutturalis is Medieval Latin for "of the throat".
White throated robin irania gutturalis
Description
This species is larger than the European robin, having a length of 16 centimetres (6.3 in) and a wingspan of 28 centimetres (11 in). The breeding male has lead-grey upperparts, a black face with a white throat and supercilium, and orange underparts. The tail is black, as is the strong bill. The male's song is a fast twittering given from a bush or in flight. The call of this species is a chis-it like pied wagtail. Females are plainer, mainly grey apart from a black tail, hints of orange on the flanks, and some white throat streaks.
It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in south west Asia from Turkey to Afghanistan and wintering in east Africa. This species is a very rare vagrant to Europe. It will also eat fruit during the autumn.
It breeds in dry rocky slopes with some bushes, often at some altitude. The white-throated robin nests in a shrub, laying 4-5 eggs.
