Bush-shrikes (Malaconotidae)

Grey-headed Bush-shrike (Malaconotus blanchoti) - HBW 14, p. 87

French: Gladiateur de Blanchot German: Graukopfwürger Spanish: Gladiador Cabecigrís

Taxonomy: Malaconotus blanchoti Stephens, 1826, Senegal.
Forms a superspecies with M. monteiri and M. lagdeni, with M. cruentus sometimes included in same group; has been regarded as conspecific with M. monteiri. All races intergrade at common boundaries; size decreases clinally from N to S. Seven subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

blanchoti Stephens, 1826 - Senegal E to N Cameroon.
catharoxanthus Neumann, 1899 - N Cameroon E to Ethiopia (N and W of Rift Valley), Eritrea, Uganda and W Kenya.
approximans ( Cabanis, 1869) - Ethiopia (S and E of Rift Valley), Somalia, Kenya and N Tanzania.

See all 7 subspecies

blanchoti Stephens, 1826 - Senegal E to N Cameroon.
catharoxanthus Neumann, 1899 - N Cameroon E to Ethiopia (N and W of Rift Valley), Eritrea, Uganda and W Kenya.
approximans ( Cabanis, 1869) - Ethiopia (S and E of Rift Valley), Somalia, Kenya and N Tanzania.
interpositus E. J. O. Hartert, 1911 - Angola, SE DRCongo (Katanga) and N & W Zambia (Mporokoso; North-Western Province).
citrinipectus Meise, 1968 - SW Angola and extreme N Namibia (Cunene valley and N Ovamboland).
hypopyrrhus Hartlaub, 1844 - from Rwanda, Tanzania and C & S Zambia S to NE Namibia (Caprivi Strip), N & E Botswana, Zimbabwe, S Mozambique and E South Africa (near Durban).
extremus Clancey, 1957 - coastal South Africa from S of Durban S to St Francis Bay.

Least Concern

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7 photos

Hiding amongst branches Locality Kruger National Park, South Africa (ssp hypopyrrhus)
Robert Erasmus 7 September 2011 24 weeks ago 4.3
An adult bird. Locality Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya (ssp catharoxanthus)
Steve Garvie 28 July 2007 3 years ago 4
Hiding and singing in a tree. Locality Lower Sabie Camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa (ssp hypopyrrhus)
Robert Erasmus 29 April 2009 2 years ago 3.4
Beauty perched on a branch. Locality Lower Sabie Camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa
Robert Erasmus 29 April 2009 2 years ago 3.2
Close-up view of this beautiful bird. Locality Lower Sabie Camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa
Robert Erasmus 29 April 2009 2 years ago 3.2
Perched in a tree Locality Kruger National Park, South Africa
Lindsay Hansch 16 October 2008 2 years ago 3
Bird vocalising in canopy Locality Nelspruit, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa (ssp hypopyrrhus)
Loutjie Steenberg 9 August 2009 2 years ago 1