Family Bush-shrikes (Malaconotidae)
Least Concern
Brubru (Nilaus afer)
Taxonomy
French: Brubru africain German: Brubruwürger Spanish: Brubrú
Taxonomy:
Lanius afer
Latham
, 1801,Senegal
.
Subspecies and Distribution
N. a. afer
(Latham, 1801) – S Mauritania and Senegal E to Eritrea and NW Ethiopia, S to NW & C Cameroon, W & NW Central African Republic and NW Uganda; dry-season visitor to coastal Liberia and Ghana.
N. a. camerunensis
Neumann, 1907 – Cameroon highlands, S Central African Republic, and N & NE DRCongo (E to N end of L Albert).
N. a. minor
Sharpe, 1895 – SE South Sudan, SE Ethiopia, Somalia (except NE), plateau country in N & E Kenya (S to Kerio Valley, Baringo, Isiolo, Tsavo and Taru), and NE Tanzania.
N. a. massaicus
Neumann, 1907 – NE DRCongo, Uganda, Kenya (except N & E) and N Tanzania (Serengeti S to Shinyanga).
N. a. affinis
Bocage, 1878 – N Angola and S DRCongo (Kasai, and Katanga E to Mt Kabobo).
N. a. nigritemporalis
Reichenow, 1892 – E Angola, S & SE DRCongo and Tanzania (except far NW & NE) S to Zambia (except extreme SW), Zimbabwe (in middle Zambezi Valley), Malawi and Mozambique (except extreme S).
N. a. brubru
(Latham, 1801) – SW & W Angola, extreme SW Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, W Zimbabwe, N South Africa (W Limpopo S to extreme N Northern Cape and W Free State) and W Swaziland.
N. a. solivagus
Clancey, 1958 – C plateau of Zimbabwe, SW Mozambique (W Sul do Save), N South Africa (N & E Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal) and E Swaziland.
N. a. miombensis
Clancey, 1971 – extreme SE Zimbabwe (around Marhumbini), SE Mozambique lowlands and NE South Africa (coastal KwaZulu-Natal).
Descriptive notes
12·5–15 cm; male 17–32 g and female 18–30 g (solivagus) ; male 21–27 g and female 21–25 g (nigritemporalis), sexes... read more
Voice
Male song, commonly heard, a repeated far-carrying, high-pitched trill lasting 0·5–0... read more
Habitat
Varies regionally, from canopy of mature Brachystegia, Colophospermum, ... read more
Food and feeding
Invertebrates, including moths and caterpillars (Lepidoptera), ants (Formicidae), beetles (Coleoptera), grasshoppers (Orthoptera), flies (... read more
Breeding
Season about Jun–Nov in Gambia and Mali, about Jan–Feb in Ghana and Nigeria, May in Niger, Feb in Chad, Apr–May and Nov... read more
Movements
Mostly resident. Partial migrant in W Africa, dry-season visitor late Oct to mid-Mar in coastal... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Common in many parts of its vast sub-Saharan range. Uncommon in Togo. Global population perhaps in low millions; probably more than 100,000... read more
Most distinctive subspecies occur in miombo (Brachystegia) woodland of SC Africa, with taxa that more resemble each other to the N and S in acacia-steppe habitats. Race massaicus intergrades with nominate in NE Uganda (Karamoja); nigritemporalis intergrades with affinis and brubru in SE DRCongo (Katanga), and with solivagus in Zambia (middle Zambezi Valley). Proposed race hilgerti (R Kassam, in E Ethiopia) included in minor. Nine subspecies recognized.