White-breasted Cuckooshrike ( Coracina pectoralis, family: Campephagidae)
The White-breasted Cuckooshrike (Latin name Coracina pectoralis) is
described in Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition. This bird
has a unique Roberts number of 539 and you will find a full description
of this bird on page 732 also a picture of the White-breasted
Cuckooshrike on page 705. The White-breasted Cuckooshrike belongs to the
family of birds classified as Campephagidae.
The map of the Kruger you see on this page shows the areas (coloured orange) where this bird has been identified. The basic information was provided by the Avian Demographic Unit based at UCT and I created the maps from that information ... the green dots show the locations of the various Kruger National Park Rest Camps
The White-breasted Cuckooshrike is neither Endemic or near Endemic to the Kruger National Park. It is however a rare resident
In terms of distribution of the White-breasted Cuckooshrike in the Kruger National Park you may not see it in all areas. White-breasted Cuckooshrike : see above distribution map.
Identification assistance for this avian species ...
The White-breasted Cuckooshrike is a bird about the same size as a starling. The height of the White-breasted Cuckooshrike is about 27 cms and its weight is about 60 gms
You will find that the male White-breasted Cuckooshrike plumage and colours are different to that of the female White-breasted Cuckooshrike
- Head is grey.
- Eye is sepia.
- Bill is black.
- Throat is white.
- Back is grey.
- Legs are black.
This bird has normally proportioned leg length.
Main diet items for this bird ...
The White-breasted Cuckooshrike feeds on tree trunks and foliage mainly
Invertebrates
Breeding and nesting habits for this bird ...
The White-breasted Cuckooshrike is monogamous unless its mate dies. In the event of a partner dying Coracina pectoralis will seek out a new mate
The nesting habit of White-breasted Cuckooshrike is to create the nest in branches of a tree or shrub. The bird lays eggs which are blue in colour and number between 1 to 2
Habitat and flocking behaviour for this bird ...
The preferred habitats for White-breasted Cuckooshrike are: woodlands and grasslands and riverine areas
You will normally see the White-breasted Cuckooshrike in pairs or flocks and not as single birds.
Names of this avian species in other languages ...
Xhosa ... Unknown
Zulu ... Unknown
Afrikaans ...Witborskatakoeroe
German ... Weibrust-Raupenfnger
Portuguese ... Lagarteiro-cinzento-e-branco
French ... chenilleur ventre blanc
Dutch ... Witborst-Rupsvogel
First bird in list | Previous bird viewed | Next KNP bird | Last bird in list
For in-depth birding information please refer to these authoritative avian references ...
Robert's 7th edition number ... 539
The main reference source for this data was "Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition" . Other references were "Newmans Birds of the Kruger Park" by Keith Newman published circa 1980 . Names in foreign languages were obtained from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town website , www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za
