Bird of small to medium size (about 17 cm or 6.5 in) with a characteristic reddish long tail that it usually shakes, lifts and moves constantly. Upperparts of ocher tone in general and lighter underparts. Thin, ocher and dark eye stripe with a lighter upper eyebrow.
Cultivated areas
Its favorite habitat is tree crops, dry and arid environments. It uses open areas with scattered trees and shrubs, such as olive groves, almond and citrus trees and vineyards that have boundaries with scrubland and natural vegetation.
It is a late migratory bird that is only seen in Malaga in the breeding period, which takes place at the beginning of May; two annual layings of 4 to 5 eggs. The Rufous-Tailed Scrub Robin is an insectivorous bird that feeds on beetles, ants, grasshoppers and caterpillars, among other prey. Sometimes it also consumes wild fruits and berries.
In Malaga the best populations are in the Axarquía, the Alfarnate-Alfarnatejo area and the north-eastern region, although there are also specimens in the Serranía de Ronda. In the Great Path it can be watched in stages 8, 9, 10, 16 and 17.
Rufous-tailed scrub robins do not put up with the use of pesticides and aggressive phytosanitaries in the crops where they live. Their presence in olive groves is a sign of good agricultural practices and that there are probably many more species of birds in that place.
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