Slate-colored Boubou

Overview

The slate-colored boubou (Laniarius funebris) is a bird species in the family Malaconotidae, found across parts of East Africa. It was first described by the German naturalist Gustav Hartlaub in 1863.

Identification

• Adult birds are 20 cm (8 in) long and entirely dark slate grey, with males and females appearing very similar.
• Immature birds have plumage barred with tawny brown and black.
• The male produces a noisy shhhhh or strong clicking sounds followed by a 'coco-weet' with a rising inflexion on the last syllable.
• Songs are frequently performed in a duet between mated pairs, with calls differing regionally across the species' range.

Habitat

This species is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats include subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna, and subtropical or tropical moist and dry shrublands.

Did you know?

A 1992 study found that a male's likelihood of singing a mating song was correlated with its mate's estradiol levels rather than its own testosterone, indicating that behavioural cues between the pair are more important than the male's hormones in triggering these songs.