White-crowned Shrike
Eurocephalus anguitimens
A bulky, large-headed vanilla-and-brown shrike. Singles and small groups of up to 6 inhabit open broadleaf woodland and riverine woodland in arid savanna, where they prefer to perch conspicuously on taller trees that are adjacent to bare ground. They perch and watch for invertebrates, which they hawk off trunks or hunt on the ground, before returning to a sentinel perch. They may form the core of mixed-species flocks and have been recorded following hornbills and eating prey they disturb. They have many calls, the most characteristic of which is a distinctive, shrill plover-like “kleeew-keeuw.”
Identification
The southern white-crowned shrike grows to a length of about 24 cm (9 in). The sexes are alike; in the adult bird the crown and forehead are white, and the mask is black and extends above and below the eye to the side of the neck. The nape and upper parts are ashy-brown and the wings and tail are dark brown. The underparts are off-white, the upper breast being tinged with buff. The lower belly and vent areas are ashy-brown. The beak is black, the eyes brown and the legs dark brown. Juveniles are similar to adult birds but the crown is slightly mottled and barred and grey rather than white. The chin and throat are white but the remaining parts of the underparts are tinged with ashy brown.
Taxonomy
Genus: Eurocephalus; Family: Laniidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Eurocephalus anguitimens
- Authority
- Smith, A, 1836
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Laniidae
- Genus
- Eurocephalus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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