Overview
A rich, repeated whistle from deep inside a thicket may reveal a black-crowned tchagra. This secretive bushshrike is often heard long before it is seen, remaining low among shrubs and tangled vegetation while delivering its far-carrying song.
Black-crowned tchagras occur in a wide variety of bushy habitats across Tanzania, including scrub, open woodland, riverine thickets, cultivated land and gardens. They usually remain close to dense cover, emerging briefly to forage before disappearing back into the vegetation.
Although not brightly coloured, their combination of a black crown, pale eyebrow and warm chestnut wings makes them striking at close range. They feed mainly on insects and other small animals found on or near the ground.
Behaviour & How to Identify
Look for a medium-sized, long-tailed bird with a black crown, broad pale eyebrow, dark stripe through the eye and clean whitish throat. The back is grey-brown, while the wings are rich chestnut and the underparts are pale.
Males and females are similar, although females may appear slightly duller. When excited or displaying, the crown feathers can be raised into a small crest.
They build a shallow cup-shaped nest from twigs, roots and plant fibres, usually positioned low within a thorny shrub or small tree.
Interesting facts
They are usually detected by sound first. Their clear, repeated whistles carry well beyond the dense vegetation in which they hide.
The black crown can be raised during displays. This small crest becomes more prominent during territorial or courtship behaviour.
They hunt much like small shrikes. A bird may watch from a low perch before dropping into the vegetation or onto the ground to seize prey.