Alice Springs Birds •
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The Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae) is a lovely bird that can be seen around Alice Springs. The Eastern and Central Arrernte word is Mekalhampwe.
Native to Australia and southern New Guinea, it is a medium-size to large omnivorous passerine bird identified by the distinctive black mask and throat. The cuckoo-shrike is pale grey above and paler to white on the underparts. Feathers along the edge of the wings are darker and barred with a lighter grey.
The young bird is similar to the adult bird except for the black facial mask, which is just an eye stripe. There is also a dark morph known as the White-bellied Cuckooshrike, with more extensive black in the adult face, whilst the light morph and the immature bird lacks the mask.
More information in our main section on:
Birds | Birds Index | Cuckooshrikes and Allies | Black-faced Cuckooshrike
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Campephagidae
- Genus: Coracina
- Species: Coracina novaehollandiae
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