The magpie shrike, also known as the African long-tailed shrike, is one of 31 species of shrike found in four genera (plural form of genus). It is one of two shrikes that has its own genus.
It is found in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania.
It is black and white, like a magpie, and has a long, graduated tail (the rectrices shorten from the inside to the outside in abrupt gradations).
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| Magpie shrike |
The head and mantle are glossy black. The scapulars are white. The rump is "v" shaped and grayish white. The wings are black with white tips and the tail is black. The bill, legs and feet are black and the eyes are dark brown. On the underparts, the chin, throat and breast are black with a brownish gloss, the belly and flanks are a duller black.
We saw quite a few of them in Hwange NP in Zimbabwe.
I love that last picture.
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