| Yellow-billed shrike | |
|---|---|
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| C. c. corvina Gambia | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Laniidae |
| Genus: | Lanius |
| Species: | L. corvinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lanius corvinus Shaw, 1809 | |
Theyellow-billed shrike (Lanius corvinus) is a largepasserinebird in theshrike family. It is sometimes known as thelong-tailed shrike, but this is to be discouraged, since it invites confusion with thelong-tailed shrike,Lanius schach, of tropical southernAsia. The yellow-billed shrike is a common resident breeding bird in tropicalAfrica fromSenegal eastwards toUganda and locally in westernmostKenya.[2] It frequents forest and other habitats with trees.
The yellow-billed shrike is 32 cm (13 in) with a long, graduating tail and short wings. The adult has mottled brown upperparts and streaked buff underparts. It has a brown eye mask and arufous wing patch, and the bill is yellow. Sexes are largely similar, but females have maroon patches on the flanks, while males have rufous parches; these patches are only visible when the bird is in flight, displaying, engaging in territorial disputes, or preening. Immature birds show buff fringes to the wing feathers. The legs and feet are black, and the beak is yellow, even in juveniles. It is a noisy bird, with harshswee-swee anddreee-too calls.[2]
The species is resident in tropical Africa, south of the Sahara and north of the equator, but is not present in theHorn of Africa. It is present in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda.[1] It makes localised movements, but these have been little studied.[2]
This is a conspicuous and gregarious bird and a cooperative breeder, always seen in groups, often lined up on telephone wires. The nest is a cup structure in a bush or tree into which four or five eggs are laid. Only one female in a group breeds at a given time, with other members providing protection and food.[2]
The yellow-billed shrike feeds on insects, which it locates from prominent look-out perches in trees, wires, or posts.[3] They also sometimes eat small frogs, reptiles, and mice, but are not known to eat other birds or to form larders.[4]
C. corvina is common in some areas and less so in others. No evidence has been found of any substantial decline in its populations, so theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being ofleast concern.[1]
