Birds · Passeriformes · Malaconotidae

Southern Boubou

Laniarius ferrugineus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The southern boubou or bell shrike is a bird that is black above and pinkish white below, native to the dense scrub of southern Africa. It is far easier to hear than to see, and its fame rests on the duets the pairs perform: the male gives one note and the female answers with another within a fraction of a second, with coordination so precise that it sounds like a single bird.

Weight

45 g – 65 g

Size

20 cm – 23 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

Its duets are among the most precise known in the animal kingdom: the female answers the male's note in less than a tenth of a second, and the coordination is so exact that a human listener hears a single voice.
Each pair develops its own repertoire of duets, which changes over the years and works as an acoustic signature of the territory.
If one of the pair dies, the survivor goes on singing its own part of the duet, leaving the gap where the answer no longer comes.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Dense scrub, understorey, gallery forest and gardens of southern Africa
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 16 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 3 eggs

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_boubou