Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Black crowned tchagra

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Kingdom
  
Order
  
Passeriformes

Genus
  
Higher classification
  
Phylum
  
Chordata

Family
  
Malaconotidae

Scientific name
  
Tchagra senegala

Rank
  
Species

Black-crowned tchagra Blackcrowned tchagra

Similar
  
Tchagra, Bird, Bushshrike, Lesser striped swallow, Grey‑headed bushshrike

Call of the black crowned tchagra filmed by greg morgan


The black-crowned tchagra (Tchagra senegala) is a bushshrike. This family of passerine birds is closely related to the true shrikes in the family Laniidae, and was once included in that group.

Contents

Black-crowned tchagra Blackcrowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus videos photos and sound

This species is found in the Arabian peninsula and most of Africa in scrub, open woodland, semi-desert and cultivation.

Black-crowned tchagra Blackcrowned Tchagra Tchagra senegala European birds online guide

Black crowned tchagra


Identification

Black-crowned tchagra Blackcrowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus videos photos and sound

Black-crowned tchagra is a colourful and unmistakable species, 19–22 cm in length. It has a black crown and eye stripes separated by a broad white supercilium. The underparts are pale grey and the upperparts pale brown. The folded wings are chestnut and the tail is black, tipped white. The bill is black.

Black-crowned tchagra Blackcrowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus videos photos and sound

Sexes are similar, but young birds have a brown cap and a pale yellow bill. There are 14 subspecies, varying in size and the colour of the back, underparts and eyestripe.

Black-crowned tchagra httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Black-crowned tchagra has a descending whistling song, chee-chee chee cheroo cheroo, and can be readily tempted into sight by imitating this call, presumably because the bird is concerned that there is an intruder in its territory. The male also has a switchback display flight.

Behaviour

Black-crowned tchagra Call of the Blackcrowned Tchagra Filmed by Greg Morgan YouTube

Black-crowned tchagra lays two or three heavily marked white eggs in a cup nest in a tree or bush. Both sexes, but mainly the female, incubate for 12–15 days to hatching; the chicks fledge after another 15 days.

Black-crowned tchagra Tchagra senegalus Blackcrowned tchagra

It is similar in habits to the shrikes, hunting insects and other small prey from a perch in a bush, although it sits less conspicuously than true shrikes.

Black-crowned tchagra Blackcrowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus

Black-crowned tchagra Blackcrowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus An adult perched on a bush

References

Black-crowned tchagra Wikipedia