The black-crowned tchagra 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.
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa
Typical Environment
This species is widespread across savannas, thorn scrub, and woodland edges, including acacia and mopane habitats. It also occurs in hedgerows, fallow fields, and bushy riverine corridors, and can adapt to lightly cultivated areas with scattered shrubs. Birds typically keep close to cover, moving between low perches and dense thickets. It avoids deep forest and very open treeless grasslands, favoring mosaics of scrub and open ground.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The black-crowned tchagra is a bushshrike that often remains hidden in scrub but delivers striking, far-carrying whistles. Pairs frequently duet, with one bird answering the other’s phrases in quick succession. It hunts from low perches, pouncing on prey on the ground in a shrike-like manner.
T. s. kalahariNkasa Rupara National Park, Namibia
![Adults have a solid black crown, bordered by buff superciliary stripes, but juveniles have a brownish crown.[7]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Black-crowned_Tchagra%2C_Tchagra_senegala_at_Rietvlei_Nature_Reserve%2C_Gauteng%2C_South_Africa_%2815085046645%29.jpg/960px-Black-crowned_Tchagra%2C_Tchagra_senegala_at_Rietvlei_Nature_Reserve%2C_Gauteng%2C_South_Africa_%2815085046645%29.jpg)
Adults have a solid black crown, bordered by buff superciliary stripes, but juveniles have a brownish crown.[7]
Temperament
secretive yet strongly territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between low perches
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, maintaining territories year-round. Pairs often duet, reinforcing pair bonds and territory. The nest is a small cup placed low in dense shrubbery; both adults tend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, clear series of whistled phrases, often delivered from a semi-concealed perch. Pairs may exchange antiphonal notes, with one bird answering promptly. Calls include sharp chacks and scolds when alarmed.
Plumage
Warm rufous-brown upperparts with a striking black crown, bold white supercilium, and a black eye-stripe. Underparts are buff to pale tawny. Wings show chestnut tones; the long tail is dark with conspicuous white outer feathers. The bill is stout and slightly hooked, shrike-like.
Diet
Primarily hunts large insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, and mantises. It also takes spiders and occasionally small vertebrates like lizards or frogs. Prey is usually spotted from a perch and seized on the ground or low in vegetation.
Preferred Environment
Forages along bushy edges, in thorn scrub, and among scattered shrubs with nearby open patches. Often perches a meter or two above ground, scanning before making short sallies or pouncing. Uses cover to move stealthily between hunting spots.
