Pale-shouldered Cicadabird - BirdForum Opus

Female
Photo by James Eaton
Labuan bajo, Flores, Indonesia, July 2009

Alternative names: Sumba Cicadabird; Sumba Cuckooshrike

Coracina dohertyi

Identification

20 - 24cm.

Bluish-slate above, darker on head and neck
Black forehead, lores, orbital region, side of head, ear-coverts, chin and throat
Light grey upperwing-coverts
Black primaries and primary coverts, black secondaries and tertials tipped grey-white
Dark grey underparts
Dark brown eye
Black bill, dark grey to blackish legs

Females have a white underside with dusky grey barring.
Juveniles are undescribed.

Has darker edges of upperwing-coverts and secondaries than Sahul Cicadabird (ssp emancipata). Also note black forehead, face and throat.

Found on Sumbawa, Flores and Sumba in the western Lesser Sundas, Indonesia.
Generally uncommon restricted-range species.

This is a monotypic species.
The population of Sumbawa may merit recognition as distinctive subspecies.
Forms a superspecies with Sahul Cicadabird, Makira Cicadabird, Kai Cuckoo-shrike and Sula Cuckoo-shrike.
Formerly placed in the genus Coracina.

Moist lowland forests and montanes. Occurs from 200m to 1700m.

Feeds on insects.
Forages in middle storey and lower canopy.
Birds in breeding condition recorded in June. No other information on breeding.

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/
Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and D Christie, eds. 2005. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 10: Cuckoo-Shrikes to Thrushes. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334726

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Pale-shouldered Cicadabird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pale-shouldered_Cicadabird