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
- Scientific name
- Eurocephalus anguitimens
- Authority
- Smith, A, 1836
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Laniidae
- Genus
- Eurocephalus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Like the closely related northern white-crowned shrike, this species is highly sociable and will form small, tightly-knit groups of usually three to six individuals, but occasionally up to twenty outside the breeding season. They are not in general aggressive birds but will attack predators such as birds of prey. When foraging, they sometimes associate with Tockus hornbills, feeding on the insects they disturb as they walk around. Members of the group engage in cooperative breeding, join together in building a brooding nest, take turns in sitting on the eggs, and assist in the feeding of nestlings.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Black-chinned Fruit-Dove
Ptilinopus leclancheri
Portly green dove of tropical lowland forest canopy. Male unmistakable, with cream-white head, neck, and upper breast contrasting with dark wings, tail, and body. Male’s black chin very difficult to see. Female a dark mossy green with a contrasting pale yellow bill, unlike any other pigeon in its range. Generally uncommon and unobtrusive. Song a deep, throaty “rrrooooooo” that does not carry far.
Mascarene Paradise-Flycatcher
Terpsiphone bourbonnensis
A pretty and distinctive bird that always lacks the long tail streamers possessed by some paradise-flycatchers. Note the rufous back and tail and the gray underparts. Males and females differ slightly: males have a black cap and a blue eye-ring, whereas females have a dark-gray cap without a distinctive eye-ring. Fairly common on Reunion in all types of humid forest. Rare on Mauritius in remnant rainforest patches. Calls include a tearing “sree-sreeet” and an agitated twittering. The song is a long musical series of “twee” notes.
Gorgeted Woodstar
Chaetocercus heliodor
Woodstars are tiny hummingbirds that fly like bumblebees. Gorgeted Woodstar is found in the subtropical and temperate zone of the Andes from Venezuela to Ecuador, where it inhabits cloud forest, edges, and second growth. Males are deep emerald-green (more of a bluish tone than other woodstars) with a glittering wine-colored throat and white patches on the sides of the rump. Females are trickier; note the rufous rump and tail with a black band at the base, extremely small size, short tail, and buffy infusion on the throat. On both sexes, bill often appears slightly decurved, more than other woodstars. Sometimes seen singly feeding in the canopy or at lower patches of flowers. Visits feeders.
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