Crimson-breasted Shrike (Laniarius atrococcineus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Crimson-breasted Shrike

Laniarius atrococcineus (Burchell, 1822)

49 gWeight

The crimson-breasted shrike (Laniarius atrococcineus) or the crimson-breasted gonolek, ('gonolek' - supposedly imitative of its call), or the crimson-breasted boubou, is a southern African bird.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Namibia, South Africa, Botswana

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: Namibia, South Africa, Botswana

Crimson-breasted Shrike has been recorded at 78 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Zaagkuildrift RdSouth Africa509 records
  2. Etosha NP – Okaukuejo CampNamibia503 records
  3. Bwabwata NP – Mahango riverside loopNamibia437 records
More places
  1. Rietvlei NRSouth Africa394 records
  2. Avis DamNamibia366 records
  3. Polokwane GRSouth Africa343 records
  4. Pilanesberg NPSouth Africa293 records
  5. Madikwe GRSouth Africa276 records
  6. Okonjima Nature ReserveNamibia230 records
  7. Waterberg ResortNamibia216 records

Countries and regions with the most records

NamibiaSouth AfricaBotswanaZimbabweAngola

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 crimson-breasted shrike (Laniarius atrococcineus) or the crimson-breasted gonolek, ('gonolek' - supposedly imitative of its call), or the crimson-breasted boubou, is a southern African bird. It has black upper parts with a white flash on the wing, and bright scarlet underparts. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as a "least-concern species".

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Crimson-breasted Shrike?

The Crimson-breasted Shrike weighs around 49 g.

Where does the Crimson-breasted Shrike live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe to central South Africa. It is most often recorded in Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.

When is the best time to see the Crimson-breasted Shrike?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Crimson-breasted Shrike endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Crimson-breasted Shrike as Least Concern.

What does the Crimson-breasted Shrike eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Crimson-breasted Shrike in?

It belongs to the family Bushshrikes (Malaconotidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
49 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
100 mm
Tail
102 mm
Bill
24 mm
Tarsus
34 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe to central South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Bushshrikes Malaconotidae
Genus
Laniarius

Other birds in the genus Laniarius

Lowland Sooty BoubouLowland Sooty BoubouLaniarius leucorhynchusMountain Sooty BoubouMountain Sooty BoubouLaniarius poensisAlbertine Sooty BoubouAlbertine Sooty BoubouLaniarius holomelasWillard's Sooty BoubouWillard's Sooty BoubouLaniarius willardiFülleborn's BoubouFülleborn's BoubouLaniarius fuelleborniSlate-colored BoubouSlate-colored BoubouLaniarius funebrisLühder's BushshrikeLühder's BushshrikeLaniarius luehderiBraun's BushshrikeBraun's BushshrikeLaniarius brauniGabela BushshrikeGabela BushshrikeLaniarius amboimensisRed-naped BushshrikeRed-naped BushshrikeLaniarius ruficepsBlack BoubouBlack BoubouLaniarius nigerrimusEthiopian BoubouEthiopian BoubouLaniarius aethiopicus
Crimson-breasted Shrike

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Steve Murray. ↗

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