Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike Telophorus sulfureopectus Scientific name definitions

17–19 cm; male 24–34 g, female 24–32 g. Male nominate race has forehead, forecrown and long superciliary stripe bright yellow, lores black, ear-coverts black, grading to dark grey on side of neck; hind­crown to mantle light bluish-grey, rest of upperparts to uppertail-coverts and tail green, all tail feathers except central pair with yellow tips (c. 3 mm wide on T2, increasing to c. 8 mm on T6) and, on outer three pairs, extending as fringe along inner web; flight-feathers dark brown, primaries with green base of outer web and yellow margin near tip, secondaries with green outer webs, tertials green, tips of secondaries and tertials with narrow yellow fringe, alula and upperwing-coverts green, greater coverts tipped yellow; cheek and chin to throat bright yellow, upper breast orange , rest of underparts bright yellow ; underwing-coverts and axillaries yellow, underside of flight-feathers extensively yellow (broad yellow borders of inner webs); iris dark brown; bill black; legs dark grey or blue-grey. Female is very like male, but orange on breast less intense. Juvenile has crown to side of neck, mantle and back barred grey and whitish, supercilium pale buff, back and wing feathers tipped whitish or pale yellow with dusky subterminal mark, uppertail-coverts barred with pale yellow, throat and underparts pale yellowish-buff, breast, upper belly, flanks and thighs barred whitish and dark grey, eyes light brown; immature like adult, but forehead olive (not yellow), supercilium whitish, lores and ear-coverts pale grey, upperwing-coverts spotted with yellowish, underparts pale yellow; rump and upper breast with vestigial dusky bars. Race <em>similis</em> closely resembles nominate, but has ear-coverts grey , blackish only near eye.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Small insects, including bees, wasps and other Hymenoptera, caterpillars and other larvae, mantises (Mantidae), beetles (Coleoptera); caterpillars and, after them, Hymenoptera seem to be important foods. Possibly takes chicks of small birds. Forages at various levels, e.g. in canopy of acacia woods and in canopy and middle stratum of Cryptosepalum forest. Hops strongly and rapidly among branches and leafy twigs, making short flights within tree, pausing and peering about, and darting quickly at an insect; works its way up tree to top, and then glides down to base of canopy of nearby tree. One individual, when taking honeybees (Apis) at a flowering shrub, perched very still and snatched each one as it passed; it flew into adjacent tree, carrying each bee in bill, and beat it against branch. May prey on chicks of Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) in colonies. Forages singly and in pairs; often joins mixed-species flocks.