Long-tailed Fiscal
Lanius cabanisi
A large black-and-white fiscal with a long tail. Note the small white patch at the front of the wing and the white rump, both of which are conspicuous in flight. Males have plain white underparts, while females have a small chestnut patch on the sides. Found in savanna, woodland, and scrub, almost always in small groups of 4-10 individuals. Similar in overall coloration to other fiscals in its range, but easily separated by its larger size. The vocalizations are sliding, metallic-sounding whistles as well as rasps, usually given in chorus by a whole group.
Identification
Like many shrike species the appearance of the adults is similar between the sexes but strikingly different in juvenile birds. Adult birds are between 26 and 30 cm (10–12 in) in length and weigh between 69 and 80 g (2.4–2.8 oz) (with males averaging slightly heavier). They are large and robust with, as the name suggests, very long graduated tails and typical strong heavy bills. Moreover, L. cabanisi is more compact, and has less slim feet than L. collaris.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lanius cabanisi
- Authority
- Hartert, EJO, 1906
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Laniidae
- Genus
- Lanius
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The long-tailed fiscal feeds on insects, particularly beetles and grasshoppers, as well as small vertebrates such as lizards, snakes and bird chicks. It occurs as single birds or in small groups and hunts in the typical fashion for a shrike, perched about two metres off the ground where it watches for and then dives onto prey. Prey is usually taken from the ground and sometimes from foliage, but only rarely from the air. The species has been reported to have a mutualistic relationship with red-billed buffalo weavers in Tsavo in Kenya. The long-tailed fiscal benefits from associating with the weavers by snatching grasshoppers and other insects flushed by the foraging weavers, and the weavers benefited from the alarm calls made by the more vigilant fiscals.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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