Explore Taxonomy
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Campephagidae
Genus
Coracina
Surprise Me
Previous White-breasted Cuckooshrike
Next Hooded Cuckooshrike
- Stout-billed Cuckooshrike
© Niall D Perrins
- Stout-billed Cuckooshrike
- Stout-billed Cuckooshrike
- Stout-billed Cuckooshrike
+1
- Stout-billed Cuckooshrike
- Stout-billed Cuckooshrike
Listen

Stout-billed Cuckooshrike Coracina caeruleogrisea Scientific name definitions

Barry Taylor and Ernest Garcia
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 26, 2015

Sign in to see your badges

Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

33–37 cm; male 127–170g, female 116–142 g. Male nominate race is blue-grey above, including upperwing-coverts and tertials, brighter blue on head; chin, and feathers at base of forehead and from bill to eye, black; alula and primary coverts black; primaries black, narrowly edged bluish-grey, secondaries with bluish-grey outer webs and black inner webs; tail black, central two feathers bluish-grey, outer two blackish-brown; bluish-grey below, duller than upperparts; axillaries and underwing-coverts pale rufous and whitish-buff; iris chestnut to blackish-brown; bill and legs black. Distinguished from similar C. boyeri, which also has rufous underwing, by much larger size, larger and heavier bill, no black on throat. Female is like male but slightly duller, lacks black on head. Newly fledged juvenile is whitish-grey, with some dark grey on head, breast and wings, whitish upperwing-coverts; immature like female but duller, has buffy-white tips on rectrices. Races differ in size and overall colour, nominate smallest and palest: strenua is darkest, intermediate in size; adamsoni is largest, has darkest underwing-coverts.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Sometimes treated as monotypic (1), as racial differences considered minimal. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

Recently discovered population in E Halmahera, race unknown (2).

SUBSPECIES

Coracina caeruleogrisea strenua Scientific name definitions

Distribution

W and C New Guinea (E to Wahgi Valley), including Yapen I.
SUBSPECIES

Coracina caeruleogrisea caeruleogrisea Scientific name definitions

Distribution

SC New Guinea and Aru Is.
SUBSPECIES

Coracina caeruleogrisea adamsoni Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E New Guinea.

Distribution

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.

Habitat

Inhabits forest, forest edges, tall secondary growth and disturbed habitats. In New Guinea, mainly in lowlands, hill forest and lower mountains; present from sea-level up to 1700 m, rarely up to 2450 m.

Movement

None recorded.

Diet and Foraging

Eats large insects, including weevils (Curculionidae) and other beetles (Coleoptera), also cockroaches (Blattodea) and lepidopteran larvae; fruit and small lizards also taken. Forages in pairs or small parties. Moves slowly, deliberately and inconspicuously through upper levels of trees, mostly perching and walking on larger limbs.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Slightly musical but harsh “shhhyyun-eshhhyuway”; also short chirp, soft mewing slur, soft rasp and harsh buzzy notes.

Breeding

Nestling in Nov and fledglings seen in Jan and Apr, indicating breeding late in dry season and early and late in wet season. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Widely distributed; generally uncommon, but locally fairly common. Appears tolerant of disturbed habitats.
Distribution of the Stout-billed Cuckooshrike - Range Map
Enlarge
  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Stout-billed Cuckooshrike

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Taylor, B. and E. F. J. Garcia (2020). Stout-billed Cuckooshrike (Coracina caeruleogrisea), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.stbcus1.01
Birds of the World

Partnerships

A global alliance of nature organizations working to document the natural history of all bird species at an unprecedented scale.

American Ornithological Society American Ornithilogical Society Armonia Bolivia Aves Argentinas Avibase Aves Uruguay Birds Caribbean Bird Count India Conservación de Islas Corbidi Fundación Ñankulafkén Instituto Humboldt Lynx Edicions Oikonos Oriental Bird Club Ornithological Society Of The Middle East The Caucasus And Central Asia RED DE OBSERVADORES DE AVES Y VIDA SILVESTRE DE CHILE Roberts Birds Save Brasil Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute Union Venezolana De Ornitologos