Four-colored Bushshrike

About the Four-colored Bushshrike

The gorgeous bushshrike (Telophorus viridis) is a species of bird in the family Malaconotidae. It is also known as the four-coloured bushshrike. Some use the name gorgeous bushshrike for the subspecies Telophorus viridis viridis only.

Most authorities consider Telophorus viridis to comprise four subspecies: T. v. viridis, T. v. nigricauda, T. v. quartus and T. v. quadricolor. Gorgeous bush-shrikes are rarely seen despite being a commonly occurring species, as they mostly dwell in densely vegetated woodlands. They are primarily insectivorous, gleaning insects from the understory growth they inhabit.

Found in Angola, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Zambia (T. v. viridis), coastal Kenya and Tanzania (T. v. nigricauda), Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe (T. v. quartus) and South Africa and Eswatini (T. v. quadricolor).

Gorgeous/Four-coloured bushshrike - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Wikipedia →