It is amazing how often the first bird heard in the morning is the Cape robin-chat. It is not just the quality of the singing, but the joyfulness. There really is no better way to start the day. With spring coming we will see an increase of activity, and hopefully a boost in numbers. Bearing in mind that this creature is monogamous, you normally have a pair, and furthermore, they live a long life (Geoff Lockwood reports one of nearly 17 years old as at February 2017!) They actually do become part of the “family”.
Everyone loves them, and everyone who loves birds needs one as a resident. A simple set of hints to encourage these birds:
- They need protective cover – good low hanging shrubs, and they dart out from under the cover to get morsels from the ground. That being said they are very happy to bathe, and to hop around in the sunshine. One often gets cases where they come inside, and pick up titbits in the kitchen! (We had our “baby” inside this week).
- They need water; so get a decent drinking and bathing spot.
- They tend to be shy to get onto higher feeders (until they discover Elaine’s Nutty Putty Pudding that is!) A low hanging feeder (potentially 12 inches above ground under a protective shrub) helps. An ideal food for this low hanging feeder is Elaine’s Suet Bits.
- An added hint for a Cape robin-chat treat; they love bits of cheddar cheese.
So bird lovers, make them feel at home, and they will move in and stay.
Hello Zelda. They love cheese fullstop!. Grated cheddar is always a good offering!
First time I saw they love cheese is when I put grated cheese out and they took beaks full. I have two that comes into the house
Thank you for the comment Rory. I can also add that we do market “Luv Bugs”, and they are very suited to Cape Robin-chats. You can introduce them with some of that cheese. I wrote this article some time ago, but the single word that always remains true with these birds is this: “joy”.
Great article, I definitely do love these birds too. I’m so glad you mentioned the cheddar cheese! I have actually filmed Cape Robin-Chats eating cheese at my bird feeder a number of times. They really do enjoy it! :-)