Black-winged cuckooshrike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-winged cuckooshrike |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Lalage
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| Species: |
melaschistos
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| Synonyms | |
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Coracina melaschistos |
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The black-winged cuckooshrike (Lalage melaschistos) is a fascinating bird found across South and Southeast Asia. It's also known as the lesser grey cuckooshrike or dark grey cuckooshrike. Even though its name sounds like 'cuckoo' and 'shrike', it's actually not related to those birds at all!
These birds have strong, wide bills. Their upper bodies are grey, their wings are black, and their tails have white tips. They also have black bills and legs. Female black-winged cuckooshrikes are usually a bit lighter in color than the males.
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Where Do Black-winged Cuckooshrikes Live?
These birds spend their summers breeding in mountains. They can be found at heights from about 300 to 2,450 meters (that's roughly 1,000 to 8,000 feet!). When winter comes, they often move to lower areas or fly south to warmer places.
Their Journey Across Asia
You can find them from Northeast Pakistan all the way through the lower Himalayas. This includes places like Uttarakhand, Nepal, and Arunachal Pradesh. They also live in the hills of Northeast Myanmar, continuing into China and Southeast Asia.
In winter, they travel to the foothills. Sometimes, they fly even further south. They might go to northern parts of peninsular India, and east to Orissa, Bengal, and Bangladesh. Some even travel as far south as Kerala!
What Kind of Home Do They Like?
During the breeding season, black-winged cuckooshrikes prefer forests. They like both forests with trees that lose their leaves (deciduous) and those with broad, evergreen leaves.
In winter, they move to more open forests or groves of trees. You might see them alone or in pairs. They are also known to join groups of different bird species that are all looking for food together!
What Do Black-winged Cuckooshrikes Look Like?
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This is a medium-sized bird. It has dark, grey underparts that don't have any stripes or bars.
Male vs. Female
- Male: Males are dark grey on top. Their wings and tail are a strong, contrasting black. The feathers on the underside of their tail have wide white tips.
- Female: Females are usually paler (lighter in color) than males. They might also have very faint stripes on their underside.
Their Call and Diet
- Call: They make a loud call that sounds like twit twit to we. This call goes down in pitch, like a descending scale.
- Diet: Their main food is invertebrates. This means they love to eat insects like caterpillars, beetles, and other bugs!
- Nests: They build their nests in trees.
