The Guyana Redbreast ("Robin Redbreast")

Common about the pastures and savannahs the Guyana Redbreast is one of the best known birds of the countryside. Although it is generally called "Robin" it is not related to the robin of northern countries and its only association with that bird is the red coloration of its breast.

The male Redbreast is a conspicuous and handsome bird a little more than six-and-a-half inches in length, his bright red breast contrasting strongly with the black coloration of the rest of the body. The female in comparison is dull coloured the body being generally a pale dull brown, the feaThers lined and barred with darker brown and greys. and the breast buff coloured tinged with red.

In the pastures the Redbreast may be seen in numerous small flocks, continuously on the move flying from one place to another. At the commencement of the nesting season, about May or June, the male bird may be seen performing his peculiar flight, and it is then also that his song may be heard. Rising almost perpendicular for from fifteen to twenty feet he half closes his wings and nose-dives steeply back to earth, at the same time uttering a long shrill note.

The Redbreast builds its nest in the open pasture lands on the ground amongst the grass, and the eggs are brownish. white, speckled all over with red. Two eggs are laid which measure about one inch long and about three-quarters of an inch broad.

The younger birds remain with the older birds in flocks feeding together until the next breeding season when the flocks break up and pairs scatter.

The food of the Redbreast consists almost entirely of insects, and when outbreaks of caterpillars occurs on sugar- cane or rice these birds will appear, often in considerable numbers, and devour them. They will occasionally, in the vicinity of rice mills, take paddy from the drying floors but this is usually not to any excessive amount.

Copyright 2001

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