UGANDA BIRD GUIDES
The Red-billed Helmet-shrike
a.k.a
Prionops caniceps
Planning a birding Safari at the end your next business trip to Africa...? Get ready to enjoy the Red-billed Helmet-shrike.
The Red-billed Helmet-shrike is a remarkably colourful helmet-shrike, grey above, orange below and white on th face. Helmet-shrikes are endemic to Africa and are active, social and birds which travel slowly in loose flocks, often snapping their bills. The Red-billed Helmet-shrike is a species of bird in the helmetshrike family prionopidae,formerly included in the malaconotide family. |
In this section of the Birding Safari Guide we share with you information about Red-billed Helmet-shrikes in Uganda in order to make your Bird watching tour to Africa even more fascinating.
You will find information about:
- Where to find the Red-billed Helmet-shrike in Uganda
- How to Identify a Red-billed Helmet-shrike and
- Interesting facts about Red-billed Helmet-shrikes
Where to find the Red-billed Helmet-shrike in Uganda
The Red-billed Helmet-shrike is resident in the Western forests of Uganda.
This bird is however a rather an uncommon species in the forest cannopy but gregarious, noisy and highly active when present.
How you will know that you've seen a Red-billed Helmet-shrike
You will see an attractive and distinctive red-billed helmet-shrike, about 18cm long, with a pale blue grey head, black collar, white breast, and a chestnut mid-breast to vent.
The males and females are similar but the young ones are paler, washed brownish and white on the head, with dark eyes and bill.
The Red-billed Helmet-shrike feeds on grains, seeds and small insects like spiders, caterpillars and centepedes.
Interesting Facts about Red-billed Helmet-shrikes
You will hear roving parties of Red-billed Helmet-shrikes producing loud explosive paired calls tchwe tchew tchew tchew as well as rather querulous burry upslurs and bill snapping.
The female Red-billed Helmet-shrike lays 2-3 eggs and these are incubated by either sex.
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