Habitat
Montane forest, both primary and old secondary forest, favouring the edge of natural clearings or gaps, and forest/grassland mosaic. From 950 - 2,300 m.
South-eastern Nigeria (Obudu Plateau and Cross River National Park) and western Cameroon (Bamenda-Banso Highlands, Bakossi Mts, Mt Kupé, Mt Nlonako, Rumpi Hills, Dikume Balue, and Mt Cameroon above Bonenza and Buea).
 
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is 2,500 - 9,999 (2010) and decreasing.
Status VU
Habitat destruction and degradation through clearance for agriculture, grazing, firewood collection and extraction of timber, are the main threats.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Habits
Does not associate with other species.
Voice
A series of monotonous whistles or grating notes, identical to those of Grey-headed Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus blanchoti). Call is distinctive and far-carrying.
Green-breasted Bushshrike (Malaconotus gladiator) [XC407515]
by id from Bakossi NP--Kodmin Forest, Cameroon (song)
Green-breasted Bushshrike (Malaconotus gladiator) [XC407514]
by Jacob C. Cooper from Bakossi NP--Kodmin Forest, Cameroon (song)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Closely related to Fiery-breasted Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus cruentus) and the superspecies formed by Grey-headed Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus blanchoti), Monteiro's Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus monteiri) and Lagden's Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus lagdeni). It has been argued that present taxon, restricted to western Cameroon and extreme south-eastern Nigeria, is no more than a colour morph of Monteiro's Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus monteiri), an Angolan near-endemic of questionable occurrence in western Cameroon, and, conversely, that a specimen and two sightings of Monteiro's Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus monteiri) from Mt Cameroon and Mt Kupé relate to colour varieties of present species.