Campephaga phoenicea
The Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike (Campephaga phoenicea) is a captivating passerine belonging to the family Campephagidae, which, despite its name, is neither a true cuckoo nor a true shrike, but rather an Old World group of arboreal insectivores. This species exhibits striking sexual dimorphism: adult males are entirely glossy black, accented by brilliant scarlet-red shoulder patches (epaulets) that are often concealed but spectacularly revealed in flight or during display. Females, by contras...
Found primarily in a variety of wooded habitats, including forest edges, riverine forests, woodlands, savannas, and cultivated areas with scattered trees, typically occurring from sea level up to 2,000 meters in elevation.
Feeds predominantly on insects, including caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, and wasps, supplemented occasionally with small fruits. It forages by gleaning from foliage and branches, as well as agilely flycatching insects in mid-air.
This diurnal species is generally found singly or in pairs, though it may join mixed-species foraging flocks outside the breeding season, moving actively through the canopy and mid-story. Foraging involves a combination of gleaning insects from foliage and branches, and agile flycatching, where i...
The Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike is a widely distributed and largely resident species across a broad swathe of sub-Saharan Africa. Its breeding and year-round range extends from Senegal and Gambia in the west, eastward through the Sahel and Guinean forest zones to Ethiopia and Eritrea, and then so...
Least Concern
- Despite its name, the Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike is neither a true cuckoo nor a true shrike; its family, Campephagidae, is a distinct group of Old World arboreal birds. - The male's striking scarlet shoulder patches, or epaulets, are often hidden by black feathers and only fully revealed durin...