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Bush-shrikes (Malaconotidae)

Bokmakierie (Telophorus zeylonus) - HBW 14, p. 119

French: Gonolek bacbakiri German: Bokmakiriwürger Spanish: Bubú Silbón
Other common names: Bokmakierie Shrike/Bush-shrike

Taxonomy: Turdus zeylonus Linnaeus, 1766, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
Molecular-genetic studies suggest that genus is more closely allied to Chlorophoneus and Laniarius than to the clade formed by Malaconotus, Dryoscopus and Tchagra, although has been thought to link arboreal Chlorophoneus and semi-terrestrial Tchagra. Present species sometimes placed in Chlorophoneus, but differs in lack of mouth spots and in nest structure, egg coloration, semi-terrestrial habit and communication behaviour. Thought to be most closely related to T. cruentus, which it resembles in plumage pattern, tail shape and pat.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Turdus zeylonus Linnaeus, 1766, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
Molecular-genetic studies suggest that genus is more closely allied to Chlorophoneus and Laniarius than to the clade formed by Malaconotus, Dryoscopus and Tchagra, although has been thought to link arboreal Chlorophoneus and semi-terrestrial Tchagra. Present species sometimes placed in Chlorophoneus, but differs in lack of mouth spots and in nest structure, egg coloration, semi-terrestrial habit and communication behaviour. Thought to be most closely related to T. cruentus, which it resembles in plumage pattern, tail shape and pattern, behaviour and voice. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • phanus ( E. J. O. Hartert, 1920) - SW Angola (arid coastal plain) and NW Namibia (Kaokoveld).
  • thermophilus Clancey, 1960 - Namibia (S from c. 21° S), SW & SE Botswana and W & N South Africa (E to Limpopo and W Free State).
  • zeylonus ( Linnaeus, 1766) - E & S South Africa (C & E Free State and KwaZulu-Natal S to SE Western Cape), Swaziland and Lesotho.
  • restrictus Irwin, 1968 - Chimanimani Mts, on Zimbabwe-Mozambique border.

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