Lalage melaschistos
The Black-winged Cuckooshrike (Lalage melaschistos) is a medium-sized passerine, measuring approximately 20-25 cm (8-10 inches) in length with a slender build and weighing around 25-40 grams. Adult males are distinguished by their uniform slate-grey body, contrasting sharply with glossy black wings (primaries and secondaries) and tail, often exhibiting a bright yellow gape. Females typically display a paler grey plumage, sometimes with a subtle brownish wash on the underparts, and less intens...
Found primarily in subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, deciduous and evergreen woodlands, often favoring areas near streams, clearings, or forest edges, from foothills up to 2,500 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, and other arthropods, gleaning them from vegetation or catching them in flight. They are also known to occasionally consume small berries or fruits.
Black-winged Cuckooshrikes are diurnal, active throughout the day. They primarily forage arboreally, gleaning insects and larvae from foliage, bark, and twigs within the canopy and mid-story. Occasionally, they perform agile aerial sallies to capture flying insects. Males are territorial, vocally...
The Black-winged Cuckooshrike's breeding range extends across the majestic Himalayas, from northern Pakistan (Kashmir), through northern India (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh), Nepal, and Bhutan, eastward into Northeast India and Bangladesh. It also breeds across southern China, including Yunnan, ...
Least Concern
- Its name 'Cuckooshrike' is a misnomer; despite a resemblance to cuckoos and shrikes, it belongs to a completely different bird family. - These birds are masters of camouflage, decorating their cup-shaped nests with lichen and spider silk to blend perfectly with the tree branches. - Males and fe...