Gorgeous bushshrike

Gorgeous bushshrike
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Malaconotidae
Genus:	Telophorus
Species:	T. viridis
Binomial name
Telophorus viridis (Vieillot, 1817)
Synonyms
Telophorus quadricolor

The gorgeous bushshrike (Telophorus viridis) is a species of bird in the family Malaconotidae. It is also known as the four-coloured bushshrike. Some use the name gorgeous bushshrike for the subspecies Telophorus viridis viridis only.

Male at Ndumo Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal

Juvenile at Mkhuze Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal

Taxonomy

Most authorities consider Telophorus viridis to comprise four subspecies: T. v. viridis, T. v. nigricauda, T. v. quartus and T. v. quadricolor. Others split the taxon into two species: T. viridis and T. quadricolor.

Behavior

Gorgeous bush-shrikes are seldom seen despite being a commonly occurring species, as they mostly dwell in densely vegetated woodlands. They are primarily insectivorous, gleaning insects from the understory growth they inhabit.

Distribution

Found in Angola, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Zambia (T. v. viridis), coastal Kenya and Tanzania (T. v. nigricauda), Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe (T. v. quartus) and South Africa and Swaziland (T. v. quadricolor).

External links

• Gorgeous/Four-coloured bushshrike - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.