Yellow-crowned Gonolek

Yellow-crowned Gonolek
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Malaconotidae
Genus:	Laniarius
Species:	L. barbarus
Binomial name
Laniarius barbarus (Linnaeus, 1766)

The Yellow-crowned Gonolek (Laniarius barbarus), also known as the Common Gonolek, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the bushshrike family. It is a common resident breeding bird in equatorial Africa from Senegal and Democratic Republic of Congo east to Ethiopia.

It frequents dense undergrowth in forests and other wooded habitats. It is not as extremely shy as some other bushshrikes, and can sometimes be seen on watered hotel lawns. The nest is a cup structure in a bush or tree into which two eggs are laid.

The Yellow-crowned Gonolek is 22 cm long with a long tail and short wings. The adult is a stunning bird, although easily overlooked as it lurks in undergrowth. It has solidly black upperparts apart from its golden crown, and scarlet underparts other than a buff-yellow undertail. The legs are dark. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are paler and duller.

This species has duetted calls, with a fluted too-lioo overlapped by a rattling ch-chacha.

The Yellow-crowned Gonolek feeds on insects located in bushes or on the ground.

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Laniarius barbarus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1