Swamp Boubou - BirdForum Opus

Subspecies sticturus
Photo by Rafiki
Maun, Botswana, June 2017

Allternative name: Gabon Boubou

Laniarius bicolor

Identification

Length 23–25 cm (9-9¾ in); slightly bigger than Southern Boubou and Tropical Boubou.

Adult: Upperparts black with white wing bar. Underparts pure white (diagnostic).

Juvenile: Similar to the adult, but with buff spots above and barring below.

Distribution

Photo by albert voigts
Okavango River, Mahangu Lodge, Botswana, 2006

Africa Western Africa: Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Zambia
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies^[1]:

• L. b. bicolor:

• Cameroon to Gabon

• L. b. guttatus:

• Western Zaire and Angola on the lower Congo River

• L. b. sticturus:

• Southern Angola to western Zambia, north-eastern Namibia, northern Botswana, western Zimbabwe

Habitat

Thickets and swamps; usually near water.

Behaviour

Usually in pairs.

Diet

They mainly eat invertebrates, such as moths, caterpillars, beetles and cicadas.

Vocalisation

Call is a hoouu whistle in duet; also harsh rattling alarm calls.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Sinclair, I and P Ryan. 2003. Birds of Africa South of the Sahara. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691118154
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Sept 2017)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Swamp Boubou. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Swamp_Boubou

External Links

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