Wallacean Cuckooshrike Coracina personata Scientific name definitions

32 cm. Male nominate race is generally slaty grey above; frontal line, lores, eye region, side of face and neck, ear-coverts, chin and throat black with greenish gloss; scapulars, upperwing-coverts and remiges black, edged slaty grey (edges broader on secondaries and tertials); tail blackish, feathers with grey tips and wash on outer webs; underparts (including undertail-coverts) slaty grey, axillaries and underwing-coverts white; iris, bill and legs black. Differs from C. fortis in having more black on head, darker abdomen and undertail-coverts. Female is like male, but lacks black on side of face and throat, has underwing-coverts and axillaries buffy white. Juvenile and immature undescribed. Race alfrediana is much paler than nominate, with white lower belly and undertail-coverts, lacks black on face and throat; floris is rather darker grey than previous, also has white lower belly and undertail-coverts, but male has black lores, face and throat; sumbensis resembles previous but larger, much paler, with more white on belly; unimoda is very dark slaty, including on underwing-coverts, belly and undertail-coverts, has black face and throat; pollens is like last but even darker, with blackish undertail-coverts.

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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.

Mainly occurs in primary lowland and hill forest, but also in woodland, monsoon scrub, savanna and various forms of cultivation; avoids open areas and eucalypt (Eucalyptus) woodland. Nominate race occurs in woodland from sea-level to 2200 m; floris in woodland and cultivation up to 1400 m.

Apparently sedentary; some local movements possible.

No information available on food; presumably insectivorous. Forages inconspicuously in forest canopy and in crowns of isolated trees.

A series of long, monosyllabic piping whistles; also a long, plaintive “weeeeer”, 2–3 upslurred buzzy notes repeated every 2–3 seconds, and nasal, querulous, squabbling notes.

Breeds May–Jun on Sumbawa and Flores (race floris); nestlings in Mar on Roti (nominate). No other information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Widespread and locally common on Flores; moderately common on Komodo, Timor and Tanimbar Is; widespread in tropical forest on Wetar (4 Trainor, C. R., Imanuddin, F. Aldy, P. Verbelen, and J. S. Walker (2009). The birds of Wetar, Banda Sea: one of Indonesia’s forgotten islands. BirdingASIA 12:78–93. Close ); sparse on Sumba; very uncommon on Kai Is.