Dryoscopus

Dryoscopus is a genus of bird in the Malaconotidae or bushshrike family. Its members are known as puffbacks. The six species, all of fairly uniform appearance and habits, are native to various parts of sub-Saharan Africa.[2] The name Dryoscopus is a compound Greek word: drus from the Greek word for "tree" and skopos, meaning "watcher or lookout".[3]

Dryoscopus
Displaying D. gambensis male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Malaconotidae
Genus: Dryoscopus
F. Boie, 1826
Type species
Lanius cubla[1]
Latham, 1801

Structure and habits

Puffbacks are small, active bushshrikes that show a superficial resemblance to boubous. They however display only rudimentary duetting, have red or reddish irides, are smaller and compact with bouncy flight, and display sexual dimorphism.[4] Characteristically, the long, loose and pale feathers of the male bird's back and rump are puffed out conspicuously during display. At the same time he may fly about, calling loudly.[5] Comparable habits are found in some related genera (cf. Bocagia, Bias, Lanioturdus, Batis and Dyaphorophyia).[6]

Laniarius (top left) vs. Dryoscopus (below and right)

They move about in pairs in the upper strata of trees (Pringle's excepting) and may join mixed-species flocks.[5] They command a varied repertoire of explosive and fricative whistles, percussive clicking sounds, and harsh rasping, churring or tearing sounds.[6] Three species have a rasping alarm call (cubla, senegalensis and pringlii), while the remaining three (gambensis, angolensis and sabini) have a stuttering alarm call. Wing fripping and bill snapping complement vocal communication. The nest is a neat compact cup in the general fashion of bushshrikes, but similar to those of shrike-flycatchers. Courtship feeding is present, and studied species are monogamous and single-brooded.

Relationships

DNA-DNA hybridization studies suggest that genus Tchagra is their closest relative, though biological traits also link them to Laniarius, shrike-flycatchers (i.e. Bias and Megabyas) and other genera.[6]

Species

The genus contains the following six species:[7]

ImageCommon NameScientific nameHabitatDistribution
Pink-footed puffbackDryoscopus angolensisisolated montane and submontane forestsKenya, Uganda and the eastern Congo Basin
Black-backed puffbackDryoscopus cublatropical to austral woodlands and afromontane forestsub-Saharan Africa, from southern Somalia to coastal South Africa.
Northern puffbackDryoscopus gambensisequatorial to sub-Saharan wooded savannahnorthern sub-Saharan Africa
Pringle's puffbackDryoscopus pringliidry, equatorial acacia scrub and thicketEthiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and northern Tanzania
Sabine's puffbackDryoscopus sabinitropical forestCongo basin and West African coast
Red-eyed puffbackDryoscopus senegalensismid-canopy at tropical forest edge and clearings[4]Nigeria and Central Africa.
  • Head of male, D. cubla, showing red iris
    Head of male, D. cubla, showing red iris
  • Displaying male, D. cubla, with raised back and rump feathers
    Displaying male, D. cubla, with raised back and rump feathers
  • Tit-like foraging habit of male D. cubla
    Tit-like foraging habit of male D. cubla
  • Nest of D. cubla wedged in branches of a sapling
    Nest of D. cubla wedged in branches of a sapling

References
  1. "Malacontidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. Monroe, Jr., Burt L.; Sibley, Charles G. (1997). A World Checklist of Birds. New Haven, CT, USA: Yale University Press. pp. 213–4. ISBN 978-0-300-07083-5.
  3. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Names. London, UK: Christopher Helm. p. 141. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. Sinclair, Ian; Ryan, Peter (2010). Birds of Africa south of the Sahara (2nd ed.). Cape Town: Struik Nature. pp. 580–581. ISBN 9781770076235.
  5. Terry Stevenson; John Fanshawe (2004). Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi. Helm Field Guides. p. 472. ISBN 0713673478.
  6. Harris, Tony; Franklin, Kim (2000). Shrikes & bush-shrikes: including wood-shrikes, helmet-shrikes, flycatcher-shrikes, philentomas, batises and wattle-eyes. London: C. Helm. pp. 35–46. ISBN 9780713638615.
  7. "ITIS Report: Dryoscopus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
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