Grey Cuckooshrike (Ceblepyris caesius) [XC516558]
by Lous A. Hansen from Funo camp, Chita Forest, southern Udzungwa Scarp, Tanzania (call)
Grey Cuckooshrike (Ceblepyris caesius) [XC27178]
by The late Jens O. Svendsen and Louis A. Hansen from Ndundulu, Udzungwa Mts, Iringa Region, Tanzania (song)
Subspecies
Sometimes considered to form a superspecies with White-breasted Cuckooshrike (Ceblepyris pectoralis), from which usually separated by altitude. They are perhaps better treated as forming a species group, because plumages notably different.
Proposed subspecies preussi (eastern Nigeria and Bioko I), with slightly darker throat than pura, seems better merged with latter.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
pura (Lichtenstein, 1823) - South-eastern Nigeria (Obudu Plateau), western Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea (Bioko I and Mt Alen). Also Ethiopia, south-eastern Sudan, Uganda and north-eastern DRCongo south to Malawi and adjacent north-western Mozambique.
caesia (Lichtenstein, 1823) - Zimbabwe and central Mozambique to southern South Africa.
purus (Sharpe, 1891) - South-eastern Nigeria, western Cameroon, Bioko I. and Equatorial Guinea; south-eastern Sudan and Ethiopia through eastern DR Congo southern to north-western Mozambique.
preussi Reichenow, 1892 - Humid montane forests of south-eastern Nigeria, Cameroon and Bioko I.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet