Lalage melanoleuca
The Black-and-white Triller (Lalage melanoleuca) is a striking passerine bird endemic to the Philippines, known for its bold, contrasting plumage and distinctive song. Males boast a glossy black upperparts and a pristine white belly, starkly offset by a prominent white wing patch, giving them an unmistakable appearance. Measuring approximately 19-21 cm in length, with a wingspan of about 28-30 cm, this species is a medium-sized member of the cuckoo-shrike family (Campephagidae). Females exhib...
This species primarily inhabits open woodlands, forest edges, secondary growth, plantations, and large gardens, typically found from lowlands up to moderate elevations of around 1,000 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, their diet consists mainly of caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, and other invertebrates, occasionally supplemented with small fruits.
Black-and-white Trillers are diurnal and generally observed singly or in pairs, actively foraging during the day. They employ an agile foraging strategy, gleaning insects from foliage and bark in the mid-canopy and sub-canopy, and also sallying out to catch flying insects in a swift, hawking moti...
The Black-and-white Triller is exclusively found throughout the Philippine archipelago, being an endemic resident. Its distribution spans numerous islands, including Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Leyte, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, and Polillo, among many others. The nominate subspecies, Lalage melanole...
Least Concern
- The Black-and-white Triller is endemic to the Philippines, meaning it is found nowhere else in the world. - Its scientific name, "melanoleuca," directly translates from Greek as "black and white," perfectly describing its striking plumage. - Unlike true shrikes, trillers are not known to impale...