Black-faced Cuckooshrike
Coracina novaehollandiae· 鹃鵙科(6 photos)
Locations:
Black-faced Cuckooshrike
30-36 cm. Familiar; blue-grey with jet-black face/throat; underparts white, washed grey; tail broadly margined black, tipped white. Race subpallida (coastal c. WA): very pale grey, white below. Immature: smutty black mask from bill through eye to ear-coverts; crown/throat/breast finely barred greyish. Singles, pairs, parties; large migratory companies. Flight easy, undulating, with wing closed 'shooting'; on alighting (and when courting), repeatedly shuffles wings. Forages in foliage; hovers over canopy, low over grass in breezes.
- Other name
- Blue or Grey Jay; Cherry Hawk; Shufflewing; Summerbird.
- Similar Species
- White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, race robusta.
- Voice
- musical, rolling, churring; also 'chereer, chereer', while shuffling wings; harsh 'skair' in aggression.
- Habitat
- rainforests, forests, woodlands, scrublands; timber on watercourses; orchards, parks, gardens.
- Breeding
- Aug.-Feb.
- Nest
- shallow cup of fine twigs, spiders' web; on horizontal limb or fork 6-20 m high.
- Eggs
- 2-3; blue-green/olive-green/olive-brown, blotched, spotted brown/red-brown/grey, below surface.
- Range & Status
- widespread Aust. and Tas.: regular autumn-winter migration to inland/coastal n. Aust., where large winter companies occur; many cross to PNG/Indonesia. But some regularly overwinter in s. Also resident Indonesia, PNG and Solomon Is. Common. Migratory and sedentary.
- Distribution key to races
- 1. Coracina novaehollandiae subpallida 2. Coracina novaehollandiae melanops 3. Coracina novaehollandiae novaehollandiae
