Sri Lanka Woodshrike
Tephrodornis affinis
Small gray songbird with heavy bill, dark mask, and white eyebrow. Underparts pale whitish; in flight note white rump. Inhabits wooded areas and scrub in lowland and lower hills, mostly in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka; avoids dense, wet forests. Arboreal species usually encountered in pairs or small groups. Pale eyebrow and plain underparts aid identification from similarly heavy-billed (but larger) Large Woodshrike. Vocalizations include soft “chup” notes; song a resonant series, “wee-wee-weet-weet”, accelerating then decelerating. Varies in rapidity of notes and number of notes in series.
Identification
The Sri Lanka woodshrike (Tephrodornis affinis ) is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is found on Sri Lanka. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the common woodshrike.
Taxonomy
Genus: Tephrodornis; Family: Vangidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Tephrodornis affinis
- Authority
- Blyth, 1847
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Vangidae
- Genus
- Tephrodornis
Range and habitat
- 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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Sapphire-rumped Parrotlet
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Scarce and rather shy antbird of evergreen forest, second growth thickets, and overgrown plantations in humid tropical lowlands. Usually in pairs, on or near the ground, where often accompanies army ant swarms to capture prey flushed by the ants. Male is black with white wingbars with bright blue naked skin on crown and around eyes. Female is rusty brown overall with bright blue naked eyering.
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