Eastern Nicator Nicator gularis Scientific name definitions

20–23 cm; male 40–63 g, female 29–41 g. Distinctive, shrike-like bulbul with relatively heavy hooked bill, conspicuous pale yellow spots on wings , feathering of lores and preorbital area stiff, short and upward-pointing. Top of head is olive-grey, upperparts dull olive-green; tail feathers greenish-brown, edged yellowish, tips of all except central pair also pale yellowish, widening from c. 1 mm on second pair (T2) to c. 7 mm on outer edge of outermost (T6); stiff feathers closest to bill and extending onto side of crown as the dorsal edge of supraloral streak are blackish, those beneath and nearer eye pale yellow; row of black preorbital bristles around leading edge of eye, extending in arc from beneath supral­oral streak to above rear of gape; narrow pale yellow orbital ring; sparse feathering behind and below eye pale buffish-brown, becoming more olive-green on rear of ear-coverts; wings dark brown, outer primaries with narrow whitish edges, outer edges of inner primaries, ­secondaries and tertials greenish, inner secondaries and tertials with large pale yellow terminal spot on outer web, remaining secondaries with narrow yellow tip; primary coverts with narrow yellowish tip, greater and median secondary coverts with large yellowish white terminal spot (three rows of contrasting pale yellow spots across upperwing-coverts); throat buffish-white, upper breast greyish-brown, greener at side and becoming greyish-white on flanks and whitish on centre of belly; thighs pale greenish-yellow, undertail-coverts pale yellow; underwing-coverts and axillaries yellow; iris brown or yellowish-brown; bill horn, greyish-brown, blackish or pale grey, paler cutting edges; legs slate or pale blue-grey. Sexes similar, female on average much smaller. Juvenile has primaries yellow-tipped.

S Somalia, SE Kenya, NE & E Tanzania (including Zanzibar, also scattered records farther W), S Zambia, extreme NE Namibia (Zambezi Region) (1 Dowsett, R.J., Brewster, C.A. and Hines, C. (2011). Some bird distributional limits in the Upper Zambezi Valley. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 18(1):17–30. Close ), parts of N, E & SE Zimbabwe, and much of Malawi and S Mozambique S to NE South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal) and E Swaziland; disjunct population in extreme SE DRCongo and adjacent NW Zambia.

Song  , from high well-concealed perch, less frequently from exposed one, starts with a few low notes, “tik-chopweeoo-tok”, followed by emphatic “trrr” and then loud, liquid whistling, e.g. “hip-to-wee-to-chip to-weet”, “weeo wee, wee-ee-oo-chowee”, “chip-chop-chipweooo-trrr… chip-to-weet” or “chwik, cheeerk, chwick, wherrreek, cho-chidilee”, resembles that of N. chloris; duration c. 3 seconds, interval between songs may be filled with low conversational notes. Recorded as mimicking other species, including Moustached Green Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus leucomystax) and Eastern Black-headed Oriole (Oriolus larvatus). Alarm call a penetrating “tsuck” or “zokk”; also softer “tsuk-tsuk” and whistled “wee-oo”.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon and locally common to common in different parts of range. Population in S Mozambique estimated to be at least 10,000 birds. Estimated densities in Swaziland 2·7 birds/100 ha in broadleaf woodland and 20 birds/100 ha in riverine forest; in most favoured habitats in Malawi, reaches 3–5 pairs/10 ha. It appears to be extending its range in Zimbabwe Ornithological Note . Well represented in numerous protected areas, including Kruger National Park, in South Africa.