Cuckoo-shrike

[martin butterfield <>]

On the mid-week walk yesterday the group were intrigued by an unusually plumaged Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (BFCS) .  Various alternatives were considered but rejected on the basis of the bird's call and it hanging out with other birds which were clearly BFCS.

On referring to HANZAB part VII A there is the following description of a
juvenile BFCS "... heavily barred and mottled brown plumage and diffuse
broad eyestripe,.lacking large black mask but plumage held for only a short
time after fledging...." .  I think the first part of that explains pretty clearly what we
saw and the last few words why it seemed so unusual. 

If only an adult had rammed some food into it we would have had a DY record!

Martin