Bird Album
Swamp Boubou
Laniarius bicolor (Hartlaub, 1857)
23–25 cmLength54 gWeight
The swamp boubou (Laniarius bicolor), also known as the Gabon boubou, is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae or bushshrike family.
Busiest months: September · Most records: Botswana, Namibia, Angola
Where and when it's recorded
Swamp Boubou has been recorded at 53 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Okavango Delta – Xaro LodgeBotswana337 records
- Drotsky's CabinsBotswana306 records
- Bwabwata NP – Mahango riverside loopNamibia228 records
More places
- Mahangu Safari LodgeNamibia206 records
- Okavango Delta – Shakawe River LodgeBotswana186 records
- Hakusembe LodgeNamibia147 records
- Kunene River LodgeNamibia140 records
- Shamvura CampNamibia119 records
- Ngepi CampNamibia116 records
- Nxamaseri Island LodgeBotswana111 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 swamp boubou (Laniarius bicolor), also known as the Gabon boubou, is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae or bushshrike family. It is native to western and southern Central Africa. In the north of their range, savannah thickets constitute an important part of their habitat, while in the south they are strongly associated with river systems and marshes, for which they are named.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Swamp Boubou?
The Swamp Boubou is about 23–25 cm long and weighs around 54 g.
Where does the Swamp Boubou live?
Its breeding range: Africa: west-central. It is most often recorded in Botswana, Namibia and Angola.
When is the best time to see the Swamp Boubou?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Swamp Boubou endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Swamp Boubou as Least Concern.
What does the Swamp Boubou eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Swamp Boubou in?
It belongs to the family Bushshrikes (Malaconotidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 23–25 cm
- Weight
- 54 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 96 mm
- Tail
- 86 mm
- Bill
- 27 mm
- Tarsus
- 35 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: west-central
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 BoubouLaniarius leucorhynchus
Mountain Sooty BoubouLaniarius poensis
Albertine Sooty BoubouLaniarius holomelas
Willard's Sooty BoubouLaniarius willardi
Fülleborn's BoubouLaniarius fuelleborni
Slate-colored BoubouLaniarius funebris
Lühder's BushshrikeLaniarius luehderi
Braun's BushshrikeLaniarius brauni
Gabela BushshrikeLaniarius amboimensis
Red-naped BushshrikeLaniarius ruficeps
Black BoubouLaniarius nigerrimus
Ethiopian BoubouLaniarius aethiopicus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Rogério Ferreira. ↗
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