- Coracina caesia
Ceblepyris caesius
Identification
25-27 cm (9¾-10½ in), mass 655 g
The plumage is blue-grey; whitish on the forehead and sides of the crown.
Females are paler than males, and the lores are black (males) or grey (females).
Similar Species
The White-breasted Cuckooshrike is similar, but larger, with a white (rather than grey) breast and belly.
Distribution
Patchy from southern South African coastal belt through southeastern and eastern Africa to Ethiopia.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- C. c. pura:
- C. c. preussi:
- C. c. caesia: larger than pura
- Zimbabwe and Mozambique to eastern South Africa
Habitat
Forest, plantations and adjacent woodlands and gardens.
Behaviour
Diet
Solitary, in pairs or (less often) in small groups. Usually seen moving quietly through the upper branches of forest trees where they glean insects from bark, twigs and leaves.
Movements
Resident with some post-breeding movement.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Grey Cuckooshrike. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Grey_Cuckooshrike
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
