Bush-shrikes (Malaconotidae)
Brubru (Nilaus afer) - HBW 14, p. 121
French: Brubru africain
German: Brubruwürger
Spanish: Brubrú
Other common names: Brubru Shrike; Southern Brubru (brubru); Northern Brubru (afer); Black-browed Brubru (nigritemporalis); Angola Brubru (affinis)
Taxonomy: Lanius afer Latham, 1801, Senegal.
An enigmatic, monotypic genus which has been placed variously in families Laniidae, Prionopidae and Muscicapidae; nest and tarsal scutellation like those of prionopids, and bill shape and juvenile plumage similar to those of laniids. Nest also very like those of Batis species (family Platysteiridae), as are white nape and back, fluffy rump and white wingstripe, in which respects this genus links present family and Platysteiridae; duet-singing and some aspects of breeding behaviour (destruction of own nest, parental sharing of nest duties), however, are typical of present family, and no.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Lanius afer Latham, 1801, Senegal.
An enigmatic, monotypic genus which has been placed variously in families Laniidae, Prionopidae and Muscicapidae; nest and tarsal scutellation like those of prionopids, and bill shape and juvenile plumage similar to those of laniids. Nest also very like those of Batis species (family Platysteiridae), as are white nape and back, fluffy rump and white wingstripe, in which respects this genus links present family and Platysteiridae; duet-singing and some aspects of breeding behaviour (destruction of own nest, parental sharing of nest duties), however, are typical of present family, and not of platysteirids. Race massaicus intergrades with nominate in NE Uganda (Karamoja); nigritemporalis intergrades with affinis and brubru in SE DRCongo (Katanga), and with solivagus in Zambia (middle Zambezi valley). Proposed race hilgerti (described from R Kassam, in E Ethiopia) synonymized with minor. Nine subspecies recognized.
An enigmatic, monotypic genus which has been placed variously in families Laniidae, Prionopidae and Muscicapidae; nest and tarsal scutellation like those of prionopids, and bill shape and juvenile plumage similar to those of laniids. Nest also very like those of Batis species (family Platysteiridae), as are white nape and back, fluffy rump and white wingstripe, in which respects this genus links present family and Platysteiridae; duet-singing and some aspects of breeding behaviour (destruction of own nest, parental sharing of nest duties), however, are typical of present family, and not of platysteirids. Race massaicus intergrades with nominate in NE Uganda (Karamoja); nigritemporalis intergrades with affinis and brubru in SE DRCongo (Katanga), and with solivagus in Zambia (middle Zambezi valley). Proposed race hilgerti (described from R Kassam, in E Ethiopia) synonymized with minor. Nine subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- afer ( Latham, 1801) - S Mauritania and Senegal E to Eritrea and NW Ethiopia, S to NW & C Cameroon, W & NW Central African Republic and NW Uganda; dry-season visitor in coastal Liberia and Ghana.
- camerunensis Neumann, 1907 - Cameroon highlands, S Central African Republic, and N & NE DRCongo (E to N end of L Albert).
- minor Sharpe, 1895 - SE Sudan, SE Ethiopia, Somalia (except NE), plateau country in N & E Kenya (S to Kerio valley, Baringo, Isiolo, Tsavo and Taru), and NE Tanzania.
- afer ( Latham, 1801) - S Mauritania and Senegal E to Eritrea and NW Ethiopia, S to NW & C Cameroon, W & NW Central African Republic and NW Uganda; dry-season visitor in coastal Liberia and Ghana.
- camerunensis Neumann, 1907 - Cameroon highlands, S Central African Republic, and N & NE DRCongo (E to N end of L Albert).
- minor Sharpe, 1895 - SE Sudan, SE Ethiopia, Somalia (except NE), plateau country in N & E Kenya (S to Kerio valley, Baringo, Isiolo, Tsavo and Taru), and NE Tanzania.
- massaicus Neumann, 1907 - NE DRCongo, Uganda, Kenya (except N & E) and N Tanzania (Serengeti S to Shinyanga).
- affinis Bocage, 1878 - N Angola and S DRCongo (Kasai, and Katanga E to Mt Kabobo).
- nigritemporalis Reichenow, 1892 - E Angola, S & SE DRCongo and Tanzania (except far NW & NE) S to Zambia (except extreme SW), Zimbabwe (in middle Zambezi valley), Malawi and Mozambique (except extreme S).
- brubru ( Latham, 1801) - SW & W Angola, extreme SW Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, W Zimbabwe, N South Africa (W Limpopo S to extreme N Northern Cape and W Free State) and W Swaziland.
- solivagus Clancey, 1958 - C plateau of Zimbabwe, SW Mozambique (W Sul do Save), N South Africa (N & E Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal) and E Swaziland.
- miombensis Clancey, 1971 - extreme SE Zimbabwe (around Marhumbini), SE Mozambique lowlands and NE South Africa (coastal KwaZulu-Natal).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird in a tree, foraging. Locality Lake Langano, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp minor)
Josep del Hoyo 30 November 2005 7 years ago 44 sec 4.7 -
first adult bird and later immature bird Locality Tujering, Western Division, The Gambia (ssp afer)
Daniêl Jimenez 25 December 2011 1 year ago 21 sec 4.3 -
searching for food Locality Tujering, Western Division, The Gambia (ssp afer)
Daniêl Jimenez 25 December 2011 1 year ago 2 min 49 sec 3.9 -
A bird in a tree Locality Kruger National Park, South Africa (ssp solivagus)
Francesc Capdevila i Torr... 30 September 2002 9 years ago 21 sec 3.6 -
A partially obscured bird preening in a tree Locality Abijatta-Shalla National Park, Ethiopia (ssp hilgerti)
Keith Blomerley 7 April 2002 5 years ago 25 sec 2.7 -
A bird in an acacia tree, foraging Locality Etosha National Park, Kunene Region, Namibia (ssp brubru)
Josep del Hoyo 20 July 1998 6 years ago 33 sec 2.7
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A bird in an acacia tree. Near Yabelo. Ethiopia
Locality Ethiopia
Piotr Jonczyk 19 November 2009 3 years ago 4.5 -
Perched overhead in an acacia.
Locality Yabelo, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp minor)
David Beadle 31 January 2009 18 weeks ago 3.7 -
Brubru (Nilaus afer)
Locality Yabelo, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Guy Poisson 9 February 2010 2 years ago 3.4 -
Female Bruru
Locality Dikhololo Game Reserve, North West Province, South Africa
Robert Erasmus 9 July 2011 25 weeks ago 3.3 -
Male Brubru high up in a tree
Locality Dikhololo Game Reserve, North West Province, South Africa
Robert Erasmus 9 July 2011 25 weeks ago 3.3 -
A bird in a tree
Locality Ghanzi District, Botswana
Aleix Comas 7 September 2007 3 years ago 3
- No sound recordings available yet
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