The many-colored bushshrike or many-coloured bushshrike is a species of bird in the bushshrike family, Malaconotidae.
Region
Central and East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs from southeast Nigeria and Cameroon through Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, east to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, western Kenya, and northwestern Tanzania. It inhabits tropical lowland and montane forests, dense secondary growth, and forest edges. Prefers vine-tangles and thickets in the mid-levels to understory, occasionally moving into adjacent woodland and well-vegetated gardens near forest. The species is generally local but can be fairly common where suitable dense cover persists.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This vividly patterned bushshrike is secretive, keeping to tangled thickets and mid-story foliage where it’s more often heard than seen. Pairs commonly perform antiphonal duets, with male and female alternating notes so tightly they sound like a single bird. Several subspecies vary in the intensity of reds, yellows, and greens across its range.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through dense cover
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks at forest edges. Pairs maintain territories and communicate with coordinated duets. Nesting is in dense vegetation, with a cup-shaped nest placed low to mid-level in shrubs or vines.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of rich, melodious whistles often delivered as a tightly timed male–female duet, giving the impression of a single, complex phrase. Calls include sharp notes and chatter used for contact in dense foliage.
Plumage
A striking mix of rich olive-green upperparts with bright yellow to orange underparts, accented by a chestnut crown/nape and a contrasting dark facial mask; some forms show a reddish or orange throat patch.
Diet
Primarily hunts insects such as beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and spiders taken from foliage and branches. Also snaps up small invertebrates flushed by movement and occasionally small vertebrates like tiny lizards. May supplement diet with berries when insect prey is scarce.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense thickets, vine tangles, and along forest edges, typically at understory to mid-canopy levels. Often gleans methodically, interspersed with short sallies to pick prey from leaves or bark.
