Black Cuckooshrike
Campephaga flava
Small, slim cuckooshrike in which males and females are strikingly different. Males are almost completely black with an odd pale patch at the base of the bill; some have a yellow shoulder Females are gray on the back and pale below, with heavy markings throughout. Partially migratory and found in a variety of woodland and savanna habitats. Quiet and unobtrusive. Often found in pairs. Call is an incredibly dry, high-pitched trill. Male separated from male Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike by its black or yellow rather than red shoulder. Females are very similar, but female Black Cuckooshrike has a mostly pale undertail and a greenish back.
Identification
The black cuckooshrike (Campephaga flava) is a species of bird in the cuckooshrike family Campephagidae. The species is closely related to Petit's cuckooshrike and the red-shouldered cuckooshrike, and forms a superspecies with them. It is also known as the African black cuckooshrike. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
Taxonomy
Genus: Campephaga; Family: Campephagidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Campephaga flava
- Authority
- Vieillot, 1817
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Campephagidae
- Genus
- Campephaga
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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