Laniarius willardi
The Willard's Sooty Boubou (Laniarius willardi) is a rather recently described species of bushshrike, distinguished by its uniformly dull sooty black to dark grey plumage, slightly paler on the underparts, measuring approximately 17-18 cm in length. This cryptic species lacks the bright splashes of color seen in many of its congeners, possessing a dark bill, dark legs, and dark eyes, making field identification challenging without its characteristic vocalizations. Taxonomically, it belongs to...
This boubou inhabits dense, high-altitude primary montane and submontane forests, specifically favoring areas near wetlands, marshes, or swampy clearings, typically at elevations between 1,200 and 2,500 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of insects and other invertebrates such as beetles, caterpillars, and spiders, which it gleans from dense forest vegetation.
Willard's Sooty Boubou is a diurnal and highly secretive species, often skulking deep within the dense undergrowth, making visual observations difficult. It forages methodically by gleaning insects and other invertebrates from foliage, branches, and occasionally the forest floor. Pairs maintain s...
Willard's Sooty Boubou is an endemic resident of the Albertine Rift in East-Central Africa, with a highly restricted and fragmented distribution. Its primary range encompasses the montane forests of southwestern Uganda, including key sites like Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Goril...
Vulnerable
- Willard's Sooty Boubou was not discovered in the field but was identified as a distinct species in 2008 from museum specimens collected decades earlier. - It is named after David Willard, an ornithologist at the Field Museum of Natural History, who recognized the species among existing collecti...