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Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikeAlternative names: "Blue Jay", "Grey Jay", "Shufflewing", "Summerbird", "Blue Pigeon", "Lapwing*", "Cherry-hawk", "Leatherhead*" Aboriginal name: "gunidjaa" [yuwaalaraay] Size: 30-36 cm Weight: 110 g (average) |
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Similar species |
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SUBSECTIONS:
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
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Taxonomy, classification |
See Black-faced
Cuckoo-shrike
at Wikipedia 
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
(for details refer to a field guide) |
Click here to display information on habitat,
range and finding this species
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Sightings |
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes are very distinctive birds, easy to identify. We see race "melanops" regularly in the area of Narrabri, NSW.
Click here to display more sighting
information
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Photos |
Race "melanops"
Frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2012]
Near-frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2011]
Lateral view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2012]
Near-dorsal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2011]
Near-dorsal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
Dorsal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2012]
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike launching itself into the air
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2008]
Lateral view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2011]
Frontal view of an immature Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2012]
Near-frontal view of an immature Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]
Lateral view of an immature Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2009]
Near-dorsal view of an immature Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2012]
This Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike is so young that is does not have
any characteristic colour features on its head yet - it was identified
by association with its parents, who were always nearby feeding it
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2011]
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike dropping a bombshell...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2013]
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Breeding information |
| Breeding season: Aug - Jan | Eggs: 2 | Incubation period: 21 - 22 days | Fledging age: ca. 21 days |
Given the right conditions, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes can breed at any time of the year.
| Nest building: Male & female | Incubation: Male & female | Dependent care: Male & female |
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "malunna" = Nest [Aboriginal] |
| Type: Basket | Material: Twigs, rootlets, bark fibre, casuarina leaves, bound with spider webs | Height above ground: 5 - 25 m |
Nests of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes are constructed on the angle of a fork. They are rather shallow, small baskets, often shaped flat as a saucer, and sometimes quite rudimentary affairs (similar to the nests of Tawny Frogmouths).
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike on its nest (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Near Moree, NSW, August 2012]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "nooluk" "pateena" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal] |
| Size: 31 x 22 mm | Colour: Creamy brown, with darker brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: ? | Mobility: Sedentary and nomadic | Elementary unit: Any, from solitary to large flock |
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes have a distinct hunting style. They often check out paddocks from fences, moving along the fence line about 10 to 20 metres at a time.
Frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike cooling
by slightly spreading its wings
[20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]
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Food, Diet |
Like all members of the Coracina family known to us, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes hunt small animals, up to the size of a Praying Mantis or a centipede. We have also observed a family of birds feeding on fruit (mulberries).
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike with a centipede, an animal
that is poisonous and thereby not taken by most predators
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2008]
This Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike has caught what looks like a locust
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]
Here one Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike of a whole family in a mulberry tree
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]
