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Large slender bird, pale gray above, paler below, with distinctive black mask and throat.
Not listed
Indigenous: Gunidjaa, Bebik
At a glance
FamilyCuckooshrikes
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatClosed forest, Grassland, Herbaceous Graminoids Sparse Hummock Grasses, Open woodland, and Sparse woodland
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from September to January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
15287visible hotspots
584023visible records
6states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Immature paler, with dark gray mask rather than black face. Dark-morph White-bellied Cuckooshrike has more extensive black in face as adult, lacks mask in light morph and as immature. Often shuffles wings after landing. Inhabits many wooded habitats with clearnings, farmland, and urban areas with trees from Indonesia to Australia.
Behavior
Call is a worried-sounding, rattling trill.
Gallery