Monteiro's bushshrike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Monteiro's bushshrike |
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| Illustration by Joseph Smit | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Malaconotidae |
| Genus: | Malaconotus |
| Species: |
M. monteiri
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| Binomial name | |
| Malaconotus monteiri (Sharpe, 1870)
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| Subspecies | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Laniarius monteiri Sharpe, 1870 |
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The Monteiro's bushshrike (Malaconotus monteiri) is a type of bird. It belongs to the bush-shrike family, called Malaconotidae. This bird is quite rare and not much is known about it.
About the Monteiro's Bushshrike
Scientists have found two main types, or subspecies, of the Monteiro's bushshrike. One is called Malaconotus m. monteiri. It was first described in 1870 from Angola. The other is M. m. perspicillatus, found in Cameroon in 1894. This second type has a slightly bigger beak and lighter feathers on its belly.
The Monteiro's bushshrike is thought to be related to other birds in the Malaconotus group. In the past, some thought it was the same species as the gray-headed bushshrike or the fiery-breasted bushshrike. The perspicillatus subspecies from Cameroon has also been thought to be a color variation of the green-breasted bushshrike. However, scientists are still working to understand the exact family tree of the Monteiro's bushshrike.
Where Monteiro's Bushshrikes Live
You can find the Monteiro's bushshrike in Angola and Cameroon. There was also a historical sighting in the Albertine Rift in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. A specimen was also once found in Kakamega Forest, Kenya, but it is now lost.
These birds like to live in subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. These are forests found on mountains where it is often wet. In Angola, the main subspecies lives mostly along the Angolan Escarpment. This is a mountain range where many other unique Angolan animals live.
Outside of Angola, not much is known about this bird. The birds in Cameroon are called Malaconotus monteiri perspicillatus. This name comes from a single bird found on Mount Cameroon in 1894. It is not clear which subspecies the birds in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya belong to. There have been a few other sightings in other mountains in western Cameroon, like Mount Kupé and the nearby Bakossi Mountains. However, these sightings are usually not fully confirmed.
Conservation Status
The Monteiro's bushshrike is probably at risk because its forest home is disappearing. This is a problem for many birds in its range. However, because this bird is so hard to find, its true population numbers are unknown.
 | Valerie Thomas |
 | Frederick McKinley Jones |
 | George Edward Alcorn Jr. |
 | Thomas Mensah |
