The crimson-breasted shrike or the crimson-breasted gonolek,, or the crimson-breasted boubou, is a southern African bird. It has black upper parts with a white flash on the wing, and bright scarlet underparts. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as a "least-concern species".
Region
Southern Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across arid and semi-arid savannas and thornveld from Namibia and Botswana into Zimbabwe and northern South Africa, with local presence in southwestern Angola. It favors dry Acacia and mopane woodland, riverine thickets, and scrubby edges. Often found along drainage lines, farmsteads with dense hedges, and protected areas with patchy understory. It is a year-round resident throughout its range and adapts well to lightly disturbed habitats, provided dense cover exists.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1700 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the crimson-breasted gonolek or crimson-breasted boubou, this striking bushshrike is a characteristic voice of southern African thornveld. Pairs often perform antiphonal duets that sound like a single bird singing. Despite its vivid red-and-black plumage, it keeps to dense scrub and is more often heard than seen. It is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
Adult feeding a juvenile at the Auob River in the Kgalagadi
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low dashes between cover
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs that maintain year-round territories. Both sexes engage in duetting and in defending the territory. The nest is a neat cup placed low in dense thorny shrubs, with 2–3 eggs; both parents share incubation and feeding. Breeding often coincides with the rainy season when insect prey peaks.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Pairs deliver loud antiphonal duets of clear whistles, clucks, and churring notes that interlock tightly. Contact calls include sharp ‘chak’ or ‘krrr’ sounds from within cover. The song carries well and often betrays the bird’s presence before it is seen.
