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[[Image:Brown-crowned_Tchagra.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Max Holdt<br />Photographed at Location: Windhoek, Namibia.]] | [[Image:Brown-crowned_Tchagra.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Max Holdt<br />Photographed at Location: Windhoek, Namibia.]] | ||
==Taxonomy== | ==Taxonomy== | ||
| + | Distribution: Africa S of Sahara; in s Africa absent from S, highveld and most of dry W; widespread elsewhere. | ||
| + | |||
==Habitat== | ==Habitat== | ||
Woodland thornveld, bushveld, especially with thorny thickets. | Woodland thornveld, bushveld, especially with thorny thickets. | ||
Revision as of 08:48, 9 March 2008
- Tchagra australis
Taxonomy
Distribution: Africa S of Sahara; in s Africa absent from S, highveld and most of dry W; widespread elsewhere.
Habitat
Woodland thornveld, bushveld, especially with thorny thickets.
Behaviour
Breeding: Season: October to November in KwaZulu-Natal, September to March (mainly October-November) in Transvaal, September to April (mainly October-December) in Zimbabwe. Nest: Neat shallow thin-walled cup of stems, roots and fibres, bound with spider web; lined with fine rootlets; usually low down in mixed bush and tall grass, or up to 3 m above ground in fork of bush or tree; built by both sexes in 5-10 days. Clutch: 2-4 eggs (usually 2-3). Eggs: White or pinkish white, spotted and blotched with brown and grey concentrated at thick end.
Incubation: About 14-16 days by both sexes, mostly by female. Nestling: 14-16 days; fed by both parents; young remain with parents for at least 5 months after leaving nest.
Bird Song
Voice: In flight display rises with loud bursts of quivering wings, just above vegetation, prrr prrr prrr prrr, followed by gliding descent with spread tail and about 15 melodious double whistles dropping in tone but rising in volume, pa-reeu pa-reeu pa-reeu, etc.; sharp chirrp, chirrp alarm and anxiety calls
