Pringle's puffback is a species of bird in the family Malaconotidae. It is found in southern Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and northern Tanzania. Its natural habitat is dry savanna.
Region
Horn of Africa and East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in southern Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, and northern Tanzania, mainly in dry savanna and thorn-scrub. It favors Acacia–Commiphora bushlands, semi-arid scrub, and edges of dry riverbeds. Birds keep close to cover, moving through shrubs and small trees between 1–4 m above ground. It may use riparian thickets within otherwise arid landscapes and occasionally occupies lightly wooded pastures.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1700 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Pringle's puffback is a small bushshrike named for its male’s display, in which erectile white lower-back feathers puff out like a ball. It inhabits arid Acacia–Commiphora bushlands and dry savannas of the Horn of Africa and adjacent East Africa. Pairs often duet with sharp clicks and clear whistles while staying well-hidden in thorny scrub.
Temperament
skulking but active in dense scrub
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between bushes
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups that maintain territories year-round. The male performs a display by raising the white back feathers while giving sharp calls. Cup-shaped nests are placed low in thorny shrubs; both parents care for the young. Occasionally joins mixed-species foraging parties along scrub edges.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include sharp clicking notes and clear, whistled phrases, often delivered as antiphonal duets by pairs. Alarm calls are harsher, while display songs are louder and more ringing, carrying well through scrub.
Plumage
Male shows dark slaty to blackish upperparts with crisp white underparts and an erectile white lower-back patch that puffs during display; wings edged with white. Female is duller, more gray-brown above with off-white to buffy underparts and less contrasting markings. Both sexes have a sturdy, hooked bill typical of bushshrikes.
Diet
Primarily hunts insects such as beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, mantises, and bugs, and also takes spiders. It gleans from foliage, probes bark crevices, and makes short sallies to snatch prey. Occasional small fruits or berries may be eaten when available.
Preferred Environment
Forages within thorny shrubs and small trees of Acacia–Commiphora bushland, often 1–4 m above ground. Edges of dry watercourses and scrubby patches near open savanna are frequently used. It keeps close to dense cover for both feeding and concealment.
