Magpie Shrike
Urolestes melanoleucus
A bulky black shrike with scattered white patches on the shoulders and wings and a very long, floppy tail. The sexes have differently colored flanks: females white, males black. Small groups of 3 to 10 sit upright on perches 1 to 5 meters high in grassy open savanna and sparse broadleaf woodland. Perch-and-wait predators, they drop onto insect and small vertebrate prey, and often move locally into recently burned areas to forage. The species gives a shrill starling- or parrot-like “pleeee-eouuu,” often produced by more than one bird at once, and also gives harsh grating cries.
分类信息
- 学名
- Urolestes melanoleucus
- 命名信息
- Jardine, 1831
- 目
- Passeriformes
- 科
- Laniidae
- 属
- Urolestes
分布与栖息地
The magpie shrike is found in Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It inhabits open savannah with scattered acacia trees, close-grazed turf and bare ground, in parts of southern and central Africa where precipitation mainly occurs between November and April. Arid areas are avoided but semi-arid areas may be favoured. It also occurs in woodland, particularly riparian areas, and in the Kruger National Park is found in river valleys with thorny mopane trees.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
The magpie shrike is a gregarious species and usually occurs in noisy groups of about a dozen birds occupying a home range of several tens of hectares. It may associate with other birds such as the white-headed buffalo weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli). The birds nest cooperatively during the rainy season, and their breeding territory is about three hectares and defended from other groups. Displays in the breeding season include bowing, tail flicking, wing raising and whistling. The female sometimes calls from the nest and the male brings her food. The two birds may also perform duets.<p>This bird perches in an elevated position scanning the ground below for possible prey. Most prey is caught on the ground, but flying insects are sometimes caught in mid air. The diet consists of arthropods, insects, lizards, small mammals and fruit.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- declining
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat
Geothlypis poliocephala
Retiring, olive and yellow warbler of savannas and grassy fields with scattered bushes or low palmetto shrubs. Not in wet marshes, unlike Common Yellowthroat. Perches on bushes and fences to sing and call, when often cocks and twitches tail, and sometimes raises a bushy crest. Sexes look alike, with a grayish crown and small black mask between the eyes and bill; populations south to Honduras have white eye-arcs, lacking in populations of southern Central America.
Mongolian Finch
Bucanetes mongolicus
A pale, large-billed finch found in dry areas with sparse plant cover. Usually seen in small and medium-sized groups. Pinkish hues make it superficially similar to rosefinches, but it is much paler overall with very different patterning. Male is brown with a pink blush on the brow, rump, breast, and wings. Females are pale gray-brown with much fainter, almost unnoticeable, pink. White wing stripes flash brightly in flight. Usually fairly quiet outside of breeding season. Calls consist of various rising nasal notes and chirrups; song is a jumbled series of these notes.
Bahian Nighthawk
Nyctiprogne vielliardi
Distinctive chestnut nighthawk, lacking white marks on either the tail or wings, and barred below. Found in caatinga woodland along rivers across a restricted distribution. The song is a double-noted "whuip-purr." In flight, gives a “whip" call.
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