The grey-headed bush shrike makes it into this week’s bird of the week

THE grey-headed shrike is a mostly uncommon resident, confined to the South East of South Africa from Algoa Bay northwards, including the lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo province.

Some seasonal migration occurs in KZN. They are easily overlooked, but usually found solitary or in pairs.

They like woodland, riverine forests, savanna with scrub and thickets, sometimes gardens where they feed on insects (including wasps), frogs, lizards, small mammals and birds including their eggs and nestlings.

These shrikes forage at all levels in vegetation from near ground to canopy, hopping and bounding through the branches.

They are colloquially known as the ghost bird due to a mournful, drawn out whistle lasting up to one second, oooooooooooop also clacking notes sounding like hedge clippers click click click click and a harsh loud screaming skreeep, skreeep. They may sing in duet.

Breeding takes place from September to January in our region. The nest which is fairly conspicuous is a shallow bowl of stout twigs, roots, grass and leaves.

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Two to four creamy pink finely spotted eggs are laid, but only two young are reared. Incubation is 15 to 18 days and nestlings for 21 days, but young may remain with parents for a year after leaving the nest.

The isiZulu name is uHlaza and in Afrikaans die spookvoel.    

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