The Indochinese Cuckooshrike (Lalage polioptera) is a small to medium-sized passerine songbird.
The Indochinese Cuckooshrike is a slender greyish, black and white bird. It has a grey head, grey back, and grey tail. Its rump is darker grey or brown-olive grey. Its underbelly is whitish. It has a dark-grey beak.
Indochinese Cuckooshrike
It measures about 20 centimetres (8 inches) tall.
The Cuckooshrike is found in Africa, Asia, and Australasia, but the Indochinese Cuckooshrike is native to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It prefers sub-tropical and tropical lowland forests and montane forests. It prefers to spend most of its time in trees, and not on the ground.
It is insectivorous, eating insects, including caterpillars. Sometimes it eats fruit and seeds.
The Indochinese Cuckooshrike is found individually, in pairs, or in small family flocks. It is territorial, defending its territory from other birds.
The Indochinese Cuckooshrike is monogamous, with pairs mating for life. The female lays about 4 eggs in a cup-shaped nest in a tree. The eggs hatch after about 14 days.
Indochinese Cuckooshrike
Indochinese Cuckooshrike
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM