Cossypha is a genus of small insectivorous birds in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. They are African woodland dwelling species, but some have become adapted to sites around human habitation. All have robin-chat in their English name.
Taxonomy
The genus Cossypha was introduced in 1825 by the rish zoologist Nicholas Vigors with Turdus vociferans Swainson, 1823, as the type species. This species name is a junior synonym of Muscicapa dichroa Gmelin, 1789, the chorister robin-chat. The genus name is from Ancient Greek κοσσυφος/kossuphos meaning "thrush".
Species
The genus contains the following eight species:
{| class="wikitable"
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! Image !! Common name !! Scientific name !! Distribution
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| 120px || White-crowned robin-chat ||Cossypha albicapillus|| Sudanian savanna
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| 120px || White-browed robin-chat ||Cossypha heuglini|| Sub-Saharan Africa (rare in western and southern Africa)
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| 120px || Chorister robin-chat ||Cossypha dichroa|| eastern southern Africa
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| 120px || Rüppell's robin-chat ||Cossypha semirufa|| eastern Afromontane
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| 120px || Snowy-crowned robin-chat ||Cossypha niveicapilla|| northern Sub-Saharan Africa
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| 120px || Red-capped robin-chat ||Cossypha natalensis|| central and eastern Sub-Saharan Africa
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| - || White-headed robin-chat ||Cossypha heinrichi|| northern Angola and western DR Congo
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| - || Blue-shouldered robin-chat ||Cossypha cyanocampter|| African tropical rainforest
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|}