Bearded Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas quadrivirgata) [XC633727]
by Charles Davies from Massingini NaturalForestReserve_Magharibi, Mjini Magharibi Region_Zanzibar, Tanzania (song)
Bearded Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas quadrivirgata) [XC346036]
by Derek Solomon from Mbatamila, Mecula, Niassa, Mozambique (song)
Subspecies
Genus often merged into Cercotrichas. Has been thought to form a superspecies with Forest Scrub-Robin (Tychaedon leucosticta), Miombo Scrub-Robin (Tychaedon barbata) and Brown Scrub-Robin (Tychaedon signata), and all recently separated by some authors in genus Tychaedon. Formerly treated as conspecific with Miombo Scrub-Robin (Tychaedon barbata) on basis of convergence of characters (apparently including vocal) in southern Zambia and western Tanzania, and still not fully clear that separate species status is appropriate. Reported overlap in these areas requires documentation, although no evidence of hybridization and the two have distinct habitat preferences. Record of apparent hybridization with Brown Scrub-Robin (Tychaedon signata) in south of range.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
quadrivirgata (Reichenow, 1879) - Central and south-eastern Kenya and southern Somalia south to north-eastern Namibia and eastern South Africa.
greenwayi (Moreau, 1938) - Zanzibar and Mafia I, off eastern Tanzania.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet