Alternative names: Common Gonolek; Barbary Shrike
- Laniarius barbarus
Identification
23cm (9 in)The adult is a stunning bird
- Black upperparts
- Golden crown
- Scarlet underparts
- Buff-yellow undertail
- Dark tail
Sexes are similar, but juveniles are paler and duller.
Distribution
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic
Taxonomy
Two subspecies recognized:
- L. b. barbarus from Senegal east to Nigeria, northern Cameroon and southern Chad
- L. b. helenae in coastal Sierra Leone
Habitat
Dense undergrowth in forests and other wooded habitats; hotel gardens and mangroves.
Behaviour
Not as shy as some other bushshrikes.
Diet
Their diet cconsists mainly of insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, locusts and caterpillars.
Breeding
They build a cup nest in a bush or tree. The clutch consists of two eggs.
Vocalisation
Whistle in duet - whee-uu; also harsh chak chak notes.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Sinclair, I and P Ryan. 2003. Birds of Africa South of the Sahara. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691118154
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2015)
- Wikipedia
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Yellow-crowned Gonolek. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Yellow-crowned_Gonolek
