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Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae) Alternate name(s): "Blue Jay", "Grey Jay", "Shufflewing", "Summerbird", "Blue Pigeon", "Lapwing*", "Cherry-hawk", "Leatherhead*" Aboriginal name(s): Race "melanops": "gunidjaa" [yuwaalaraay]; "ngoolako", "karebomdo" (WA) Size: 30-36 cm Weight: 90-145 g

Australia: Family Group 22 Family Group 22 Table White-winged Triller Varied Triller Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike Barred Cuckoo-shrike Ground Cuckoo-shrike Common Cicadabird (Australasian) Yellow Oriole Olive-backed Oriole Figbird White-breasted Woodswallow Masked Woodswallow White-browed Woodswallow Black-faced Woodswallow Dusky Woodswallow Little Woodswallow Black Butcherbird Grey Butcherbird Pied Butcherbird Australian Magpie Grey Currawong Pied Currawong Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes are large cuckoo-shrikes. They have a large black facial mask which encompasses the forehead, eyes, cheeks, throat and also the upper chest. The front, from the chest to the upper belly, is grey. The lower belly, vent and undertail coverts are off-white. The back, from the cap down to the tail, is grey. Only the tip of the tail and the flight feathers are much darker grey, with white edge lining on the flight feathers. The underwings are off-white. The eyes have black irises. The strong bill is dark-grey; the legs and feet are grey. Immature Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes only have black eye stripes, rather than a large facial mask. Juveniles have a scalloped grey front with a light-grey throat patch.

Taxonomy, classification See Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike is available HERE . The range of the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike extends from eastern Indonesia, Timor Leste and New Guinea to Australia. They are a partly migratory species that breeds only in Australia. In Australia Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes are found all over the continent and on various offshore islands, including Tasmania. Nominate race "novaehollandiae" is endemic to Tasmania and the smaller islands along Bass Strait. Race "melanops" is found over most of the mainland, but they rarely venture into the most arid parts of the continent, i.e. the Lake Eyre Basin and the major sandy deserts of eastern WA. Race "subpallida" has a restricted range, comprising only WA's Pilbara and Gascoyne regions. Some Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes migrate to and from the North, via Cape York peninsula. Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes inhabit a wide range of habitats, from open woodland to dense forest, including rainforest. Where to look? How to find this species? Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes are very distinctive birds, easy to identify by their prominent wing shuffle when landing.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "melanops" We see Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, race "melanops", regularly in the area of Narrabri, NSW. They are also sighted by us regularly on trips into the Great Dividing Range, and along the eastern Australian seaboard. They were also spotted in many different locations on a trip into far western NSW along the Darling River and in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia, in March 2008. Various contributors report spotting Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, race "melanops", regularly in different locations along the coastline of south-eastern QLD. R. Plumtree reports spotting Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes , race "melanops", nesting along Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, in October 2013 and again in April 2014. J. Greaves reports spotting Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, race "melanops", in Merredin, WA, in February 2015 and at Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, in August 2016. H. Mouritsen reports spotting Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, race "melanops", in various locations in and around Darwin, NT, in October 2015. M. Eaton reports finding Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, race "melanops", at Bowra Station, near Cunnamulla, QLD, in September 2017. P. Brown reports spotting a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, race "melanops", at Marlow's Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, in May 2018, and in Darwin, NT, in August 2018. Twitcher's tip If you see a roughly butcherbird-sized bird hunting from a fencepost that regularly moves on to the next fencepost and, when landing, flicks first one and then the other wing, you are most likely observing a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike.

Photos

Race "melanops"

ADULT

Frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2017]

Frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2012]

Frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow's Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, May 2018]

Frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike looking sideways (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow's Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, May 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston, NT, August 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2011]

Near-frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Station, near Cunnamulla, QLD, September 2017]

Lateral view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of B. Kinross)
[Beachmere, QLD, May 2015]

Lateral view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike going into contortions while looking for prey (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow's Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, May 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2011]

Near-dorsal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]

Dorsal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Station, near Cunnamulla, QLD, September 2017]

Ventral view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, October 2012]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike dropping a bombshell...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2013]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike launching itself into the air
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2008]

Lateral view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2011]

Dorsal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike in flight
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, September 2016]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of an immature Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; this bird is in the latest stage of the moult into adult plumage
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2012]

Frontal view of an immature Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike that is starting to moult into adult plumage
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2008]

Frontal view of an immature Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike that is starting to moult into adult plumage
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2014]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2017]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]

Lateral view of a juvenile Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2009]

Lateral view of a juvenile Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of A. Campbell)
[Mount McEuen, QLD, July 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Goondiwindi, QLD, March 2018]

Juvenile Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike waiting to be fed by its parents; note how the bird is angling its wings for evaporative cooling (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Merredin, WA, February 2015]

This Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike is so young that is does not have any characteristic colour features on its head yet - it was identified by association with its parents, who were always nearby feeding it
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2011]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike with a fledgling chick (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cooroy, QLD, December 2017]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike carrying food for its fledgling chick (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cooroy, QLD, December 2017]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Jan

Eggs: 2

Incubation period: 21 - 22 days

Fledging age: ca. 21 days

The breeding season of Black Cuckoo-shrikes depends on geographic latitude and, primarily inland, on weather conditions. The period listed in the table above applies mostly to the SE of the continent. Given the right conditions, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes can breed at any time of the year.

Nest building: Male & female

Incubation: Male & female

Dependent care: Male & female

In preparation of mating, the male Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, front, flaps its wings, while the female, back, adopts a submissive posture... (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2014]

... before the male gets into position (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2014]

Nest

"bungobittah", "malunna" = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket

Material: Twigs, rootlets, bark fibre, casuarina leaves, bound with spider webs

Height above ground: 5 - 25 m

Nests of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes are constructed on the angle of a fork. They are rather shallow, small baskets, often shaped flat as a saucer, and sometimes quite rudimentary affairs (similar to the nests of Tawny Frogmouths).

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike on its nest, with its partner nearby and an immature Olive-backed Oriole right by them that is not considered to be a threat and therefore tolerated near the nest
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2014]

The same Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike as above on its nest, now seen between the two branches forming the fork in which the nest rests
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2014]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike on its nest (photo courtesy of L. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, October 2016]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike on its nest (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Near Moree, NSW, August 2012]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike on its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Wynnum, QLD, December 2017]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike on its nest (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Tweed River, Tweed Heads, NSW, December 2014]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 31 x 22 mm

Colour: Creamy brown, with darker brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial?

Mobility: Sedentary and nomadic

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair/clan

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes are well-known for shuffling their wings just after landing.

Dorsal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike shuffling its wings
[Near Narrabri, NSW, January 2017]

In this case, both the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike shown above and its partner shuffled their wings repeatedly, as if signaling to each other
[Near Narrabri, NSW, January 2017]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes have a distinct hunting style. They often check out paddocks from fence posts or pickets, moving along the fence line about 10 to 20 metres at a time.

Family of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike hunting from a fence
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2015]

Closer look at an adult Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike hunting from a fence
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2015]

Frontal view of a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike cooling by slightly spreading its wings
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, 2006]

Occasionally we see small groups of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes having vocal arguments. The bird shown below is one of such a group.

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike fluttering its wings; this is one of the birds whose calls were recorded on 2 October 2014
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2014]

Food, Diet

Like all members of the Coracina family known to us, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes hunt small animals, up to the size of a Praying Mantis or a centipede. We have also observed a family of birds feeding on fruit (mulberries).

"Too late to prey"... - Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike taking a Preying Mantis (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

"Too late to prey"... - Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike swallowing a Preying Mantis (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike with a centipede, an animal that is poisonous and thereby not taken by most predators
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2008]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike with its catch, a cicada
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, January 2018]

This Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike has caught what looks like a locust
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]

Immature Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike with its prey, a moth (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston, NT, August 2018]

Here one Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike of a whole family in a mulberry tree
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike feeding on fruit (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, October 2012]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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