Malaconotus


Malaconotus is a genus of passerine birds in the bush-shrike family Malaconotidae, which is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Their Greek generic name suggests fluffy back and rump feathers.

Description

All are large-bodied with robust legs and feet, and formidable shrike-like bills. As in other Malacotini, the upper mandible has a subterminal tooth, opposing a notch on the lower mandible. Both nasal and rictal bristles are present, and they are unique in their family in having syndactyl feet. They have 10 primaries and 12 rectrices like others of their family. The sexes are similar in appearance, but have dissimilar calls.

Habits

They form monogamous pairs that live fairly sedentary in woodlands or tropical forest. They are very vocal, but their duetting is poorly developed compared to the related genus Telophorus. Their displays include bill-snapping, a habit shared with helmetshrikes, which however differ in their social foraging habits and cooperative breeding. Malaconotus bushshrikes breed solitarily, lay a small clutch of elongate eggs, and their chicks are altricial.

Systematics

They likely occupy a basal position in the family. About 60% of the species formerly placed here are now usually separated in Telophorus or Chlorophoneus. The old taxonomy is also often found though.
Malaconotus sensu stricto contains the following species:
ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
Malaconotus cruentusFiery-breasted bushshrikeequatorial Africa, from Sierra Leone to western Uganda
Malaconotus lagdeniLagden's bushshrikeRwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo
Malaconotus gladiatorGreen-breasted bushshrikeCameroon and adjacent Nigeria
Malaconotus blanchotiGrey-headed bushshrikeSub-Saharan Africa, although relatively absent in Central and Southern Africa
Malaconotus monteiriMonteiro's bushshrikeAngola and Cameroon
Malaconotus aliusUluguru bushshrikeUluguru Mountains in Tanzania