Gorgeous bushshrike

The gorgeous bushshrike (Telophorus viridis) is a species of bird in the family Malaconotidae. It is also known as the four-coloured bushshrike. Some use the name gorgeous bushshrike for the subspecies Telophorus viridis viridis only.

Gorgeous bushshrike
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Malaconotidae
Genus: Telophorus
Species:
T. viridis
Binomial name
Telophorus viridis
(Vieillot, 1817)
Synonyms

Telophorus quadricolor

Taxonomy

Most authorities consider Telophorus viridis to comprise four subspecies: T. v. viridis, T. v. nigricauda, T. v. quartus and T. v. quadricolor. Others split the taxon into two species: T. viridis and T. quadricolor.

Behavior

Gorgeous bush-shrikes are seldom seen despite being a commonly occurring species, as they mostly dwell in densely vegetated woodlands. They are primarily insectivorous, gleaning insects from the understory growth they inhabit.[2]

Distribution

Found in Angola, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Zambia (T. v. viridis), coastal Kenya and Tanzania (T. v. nigricauda), Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe (T. v. quartus) and South Africa and Eswatini (T. v. quadricolor).[3]

  • Male at Ndumo Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal
    Male at Ndumo Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal
  • Juvenile at Mkhuze Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal
    Juvenile at Mkhuze Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal

References
  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Telophorus viridis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T103707122A94134112. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103707122A94134112.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. "Telophorus viridis (Gorgeous bush-shrike)". Biodiversity Explorer.
  3. Fry, H. "Gorgeous Bush-shrike (Telophorus viridis)". www.hbw.com. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 4 November 2016.


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