(→Diet) |
(typo) |
||
| Line 41: | Line 41: | ||
The nest is probably built by both birds. It is a shallow, flimsy saucer high up (20-30 m) and hidden in dense foliage or creepers. The eggs (usually two are laid) are pale green with brown, grey and mauve markings. | The nest is probably built by both birds. It is a shallow, flimsy saucer high up (20-30 m) and hidden in dense foliage or creepers. The eggs (usually two are laid) are pale green with brown, grey and mauve markings. | ||
| − | + | The young are thought to be fed by both parents. There are no details on incubation or fledging times. | |
| + | |||
| + | ====Vocalisation==== | ||
| + | "to do" | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 04:01, 31 July 2016
- Chlorophoneus nigrifrons
Telophorus nigrifrons
Identification
18-19 cm (7-7½ in)
A Polymorphic species, all of which have green upperparts, grey crown and upper back, yellow tipped tail, dark bill and legs. The males occur in four colour morphs, the females in three.
- Orange morph: black mask and forehead, orange underparts, becoming yellow under the tail
- Red morph: similar, but has redder throat and breast, yellow belly and undertail-coverts
- Buff morph: buff underparts, pale throat.
- Black morph: entirely black face, forehead, throat and breast, green belly and undertail-coverts
Female: duller than the males; less black on the forehead
Juvenile: buffy underparts with dark barring, yellow edges to the wing-feathers
Similar species
Ruddy morph Olive Bushshrike is similar to the buff morph, but does not have a black forehead. Orange-breasted Bushshrike and Many-coloured Bushshrike have pale eyebrows.
Distribution
Africa
Western Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Zimbabwe, South Africa
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are three subspecies:[1]
- C. n. nigrifrons:
- C. n. manningi:
- South-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to northern Zambia and possibly eastern Angola
- C. n. sandgroundi:
- South-eastern Malawi to Zimbabwe, Mozambique and north-eastern South Africa
Habitat
Forest canopy; also sub-canopy when it has sufficient cover.
Behaviour
Diet
They forage in the middle and upper stories of tall trees, for insects such as wasps, grasshoppers, beetles and caterpillars, as well as other invertebrates. Feeds in pairs or solitary, and will sometimes join mixed species flocks. Also hawks insects like a flycatcher.
Breeding
Breeding territories are maintained year round. Breeding seasons vary from country to country, e.g. February in Tanzania, October-March in Zambia and November-February in Zimbabwe.
The nest is probably built by both birds. It is a shallow, flimsy saucer high up (20-30 m) and hidden in dense foliage or creepers. The eggs (usually two are laid) are pale green with brown, grey and mauve markings.
The young are thought to be fed by both parents. There are no details on incubation or fledging times.
Vocalisation
"to do"
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
- Sinclair, I and P Ryan. 2003. Birds of Africa South of the Sahara. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691118154
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2016)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-fronted Bushshrike. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-fronted_Bushshrike
