Coracina novaehollandiae
The Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae) is a sleek, medium-sized passerine bird, renowned for its striking appearance and distinctive flight. Adults typically measure 32-35 cm in length, boast a wingspan of 50-57 cm, and weigh between 70-130 grams, showcasing a uniform slate-grey plumage across its back and wings, with a contrasting black face mask extending from the bill past the eye. A clean white vent and a slightly hooked black bill with a crimson eye provide distinctive f...
Primarily found in open woodlands, forests, savannas, and shrublands, adapting well to modified landscapes including parks, gardens, and urban areas. It typically occurs from sea level up to moderate elevations, around 1,500 meters.
Their diet consists predominantly of insects, including caterpillars, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and cicadas, supplemented with small amounts of fruit and seeds. They forage mainly by gleaning from foliage and branches, and by making aerial forays for flying insects.
Black-faced Cuckooshrikes are diurnal and often observed singly, in pairs, or small family groups, particularly outside the breeding season, occasionally forming larger social roosts. They employ a 'perch-and-pounce' foraging strategy, gleaning insects from foliage and bark or making aerial salli...
The Black-faced Cuckooshrike boasts an extensive distribution across Australasia, primarily breeding throughout mainland Australia, Tasmania, and parts of New Guinea. Its range also extends to the Solomon Islands and some Indonesian islands such as Timor and the Lesser Sundas. While largely resid...
Least Concern
- Despite their name, Black-faced Cuckooshrikes are not closely related to true cuckoos (family Cuculidae) or true shrikes (family Laniidae). - Their distinctive, undulating flight pattern has earned them the nickname 'shufflewing' or 'crepe myrtle bird' in some regions. - The species is remarkab...