Monteiro's Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus monteiri)

Family
Malaconotidae (Bush-shrikes)

Size
25 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Sharpe, 1870)

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical montane moist forest. Also, subtropical and tropical montane moist forest and plantations. From sea-level to 1,450 m.

Range (Guide)

Angola (B), Cameroon (B).

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status NT
Known only from a small number of records from the escarpment zone of Angola and Cameroon. Habitat destruction for agriculture is the main threat.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Mournful whistles, similar to that of Green-breasted Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus gladiator) but shorter and given in series of five, not three notes.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files

Monteiro's Bushshrike (Malaconotus monteiri) [XC815194]
by Arnon Dattner from Muxima (near Lucala), Quicama, Bengo Province, Angola (call, song)

Monteiro's Bushshrike (Malaconotus monteiri) [XC594983]
by id from Santa Amboleia, Angola (call)

Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Grey-headed Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus blanchoti) and Lagden's Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus lagdeni), with Fiery-breasted Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus cruentus) sometimes included in same group. Has been regarded as conspecific with Grey-headed Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus blanchoti), and nominate subspecies has been considered to be a colour morph of Fiery-breasted Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus cruentus).

Barely known in Cameroon, where supposedly larger-billed and yellower subspecies perspicillatus may be only a colour morph of Green-breasted Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus gladiator). Historical specimen from Kivu, in eastern DRCongo, cautiously attributed to perspicillatus; single specimen (now lost) from Kakamega, in south-western Kenya, resembled both nominate subspecies of present species and subspecies catharoxanthus of Grey-headed Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus blanchoti).

The following 2 subspecies are recognised:

perspicillatus (Reichenow, 1894) - South-western Cameroon (Mt Cameroon).
monteiri (Sharpe, 1870) - North-western Angola (Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, possibly Huambo); possibly also extreme northern Namibia.

Similar Species
Green-breasted Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus gladiator) which is darker, and has a heavier bill and clear white eye ring.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Monteiros Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus monteiri) - 2 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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