Alternative names: Bristled Shrike, Bald-headed Crow, Bald-headed Wood-Shrike; Bristlehead
- Pityriasis gymnocephala
Identification
22 - 26cm. A heavy-bodied passerine with a short tail, a massive hooked bill and long, powerful wings.
- Black or dark grey plumage
- Red thighs, head, throat and neck
- Dark grey ear coverts
- Featherless yellow crown covered by short skin projections like bare feather shafts
- White wing-patch visible in flight
- Heavy black hooked bill
- Short tail
Females are similar but have red edges of some of their flank feathers. However, some males can also show this characteristic. Juveniles have red ear-coverts, head and neck are more orange-red, ear and breast contour feathers are not modified into bristles, the amount of red on the thighs is reduced and breast and flanks are mottled red and black.
Distribution
Endemic to the lowland forests of Borneo.
Uncommon and not often observed.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
It has been placed in various families (see genus and family page).
Habitat
Canopy of lowland forests upto 600, occasionally up to 1200m, deep jungle, swamp forest and mangroves.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes beetles, cicadas, cockroaches, termites, spiders, sometimes small reptiles and amphibians and occasionally fruit.
Forages in canopy and sub-canopy.
Breeding
Only few data available. Breeding season probably from May to October, possibly related to food availability and rainfall. Probably a co-operative breeder. Nest not described.
Vocalisation
They make a wide range of sounds ending in a cat-like call.
These audio files were recorded while the Chestnut-rumped Babbler and Bornean Bristlehead were in close proximity to each other. This results in both species being heard on each recording.
Bornean Bristlehead
Recording © by dixonlau
Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, 16 December 2020
Chestnut-rumped Babbler
Recording © by dixonlau
Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, 16 December 2020
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Bornean Bristlehead. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Bornean_Bristlehead
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
