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Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikeAlternative names: "Blue Jay", "Jay", "Summer-bird", "Blue Pigeon", "Lapwing", "Cherry-hawk", "Leatherhead*" Aboriginal name: "gunidjaa" [yuwaalaraay] Size: 30-36 cm |
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Habitat |
(for details refer to a field guide) |
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes are found all over the Australian continent. Subspecies "melanops" is found over most of the mainland, while subspecies "subpallida" in found in WA's Pilbara region and subspecies "novaehollandiae" is endemic to Tasmania.
They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from open woodlands to dense forest, including rain forest.
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Twitcher's tip |
If you see a roughly butcherbird-sized bird hunting from a fencepost that regularly moves on to the next fencepost and, when landing, flicks first one and then the other wing, you are most likely observing a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike.
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Sightings |
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes are very distinctive birds, easy to identify. We see subspecies "melanops" regularly in the area of Narrabri, NSW.
They were also sighted on a trip to the east of the dividing range, in the Clarence river downs, NSW and near Parkes, NSW.
Spotted also in many different locations on a trip into far western NSW along the Darling River and in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia, in March 2008.
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Photos |
Frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike cooling by slightly spreading its wings
Near-frontal view
Lateral view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
View of the back of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike launching itself into the air
Lateral view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike in flight
Near-frontal view of a juvenile bird
Lateral view of a juvenile Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
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
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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.
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Food |
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
This one has caught what looks like a locust
Here one bird of a whole family in a mulberry tree
