Bird Album
Brubru
Nilaus afer (Latham, 1801)
12–15 cmLength19 gWeight
The brubru (Nilaus afer) is a species of bushshrike (family Malaconotidae) found in most of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Busiest months: November · Most records: Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania
Where and when it's recorded
Brubru has been recorded at 345 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 27 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Nairobi NPKenya419 records
- Lake Mburo NPUganda322 records
- Buffalo Springs NRKenya301 records
More places
- Kruger NP – Satara CampSouth Africa296 records
- Samburu NRKenya267 records
- Mkhuze GRSouth Africa265 records
- Tarangire NPTanzania255 records
- Serengeti NPTanzania223 records
- Lake BaringoKenya215 records
- Lake Baringo – Inshore Cliffs and surroundsKenya206 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The brubru (Nilaus afer) is a species of bushshrike (family Malaconotidae) found in most of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only member of the genus Nilaus.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Brubru?
The Brubru is about 12–15 cm long and weighs around 19 g.
Where does the Brubru live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.
When is the best time to see the Brubru?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Brubru endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Brubru as Least Concern.
What does the Brubru eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Brubru in?
It belongs to the family Bushshrikes (Malaconotidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 12–15 cm
- Weight
- 19 g
- Habitat
- Woodland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 78 mm
- Tail
- 50 mm
- Bill
- 18 mm
- Tarsus
- 21 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Bushshrikes Malaconotidae
- Genus
- Nilaus
More from the family Bushshrikes
Fiery-breasted BushshrikeMalaconotus cruentus
Monteiro's BushshrikeMalaconotus monteiri
Grey-headed BushshrikeMalaconotus blanchoti
Lagden's BushshrikeMalaconotus lagdeni
Green-breasted BushshrikeMalaconotus gladiator
Uluguru BushshrikeMalaconotus alius
Mount Kupe BushshrikeChlorophoneus kupeensis
Many-colored BushshrikeChlorophoneus multicolor
Black-fronted BushshrikeChlorophoneus nigrifrons
Olive BushshrikeChlorophoneus olivaceus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by sdrov. ↗
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