Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike
Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus
A striking gray, yellow, and green bushshrike with a dark eye, an orange chest, and a distinctive yellow forehead and short eyebrow. The juvenile lacks an eyebrow. Singles and pairs occasionally join mixed-species flocks in thornveld and broadleaf woodland, riparian forest, and thickets. The species creeps slowly through the mid-canopy of trees, hunting insects and small vertebrates, and is often first detected by its loud ringing “what-to-tooo-dooo” song and scolding “skeeeeet” calls and clicks. The larger Gray-headed Bushshrike differs from Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike by having a more robust bill, a pale-yellow eye, and no eyebrows.
Identification
A striking gray, yellow, and green bushshrike with a dark eye, an orange chest, and a distinctive yellow forehead and short eyebrow. The juvenile lacks an eyebrow. Singles and pairs occasionally join mixed-species flocks in thornveld and broadleaf woodland, riparian forest, and thickets. The species creeps slowly through the mid-canopy of trees, hunting insects and small vertebrates, and is often first detected by its loud ringing “what-to-tooo-dooo” song and scolding “skeeeeet” calls and clicks. The larger Gray-headed Bushshrike differs from Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike by having a more robust bill, a pale-yellow eye, and no eyebrows.
Taxonomy
Genus: Chlorophoneus; Family: Malaconotidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus
- Authority
- (Lesson, RP, 1831)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Malaconotidae
- Genus
- Chlorophoneus
Range and habitat
The orange-breasted bushshrike is widespread throughout Sub-Saharan Africa (relatively absent from most of Central, Southern and the Horn of Africa). Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna and moist savanna. It is not a migrant species.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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A tall, plain gray-brown chat with upright posture that has a conspicuous eye-ring and a creamy-orange rump. Inner to outer tail feathers have progressively more creamy-orange coloration at the bases, resulting in a black triangle on the tail. Singles and pairs occupy open rangelands, pastures and alpine scrub, where they forage on the ground and from low perches. It flicks its wings, but less habitually than the similar Familiar Chat, which has shorter legs, a less obvious eye-ring, a rufous rump, and a tail with an inverted black “T” pattern.
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