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Grey Cuckooshrike | Coracina caesia

The Grey Cuckooshrike is a Southern African bird that belongs to the Campephagidae bird family group which includes birds such as Cuckooshrikes.

The description for the Grey Cuckooshrike (Latin name Coracina caesia) can be found in the 7th Edition of the Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. The Coracina caesia can be quickly identified by its unique Roberts identification number of 540 and the detailed description of this bird is on page 732. You will find a picture of the Grey Cuckooshrike on page 705.

NOTE: The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition*. This edition contained a number of taxonomic changes as well as changes to English names used traditionally and in earlier editions of most bird books in South Africa. The following paragraph notes such changes if any.

There have been no changes in the common name between the Roberts 6th and Roberts 7th Edition. There have been no changes in the Latin name for the Grey Cuckooshrike between the Roberts 6th and Roberts 7th Edition

The Grey Cuckooshrike is known in Afrikaans as Bloukatakoeroe.

The Grey Cuckooshrike has a height of 27 cms and weighs around 65 gms. The head is coloured blue, grey while the bill is coloured black. The Coracina caesia has a white coloured throat, black legs and a blue, grey coloured back. The eyes are brown.

The male Coracina caesia has physical features that are slightly different from the female bird.

Take note of the main distinguishing features such as colour, size and leg length relative to the body size. Colours of body parts can be helpful. Be aware what may appear brown to one person is described in Roberts using some other word ... for example brown, black. See colours used in Roberts.

Head is blue, grey

Eyes are brown

Bill is black

Legs are black

Throat is white

Back is blue, grey

Feeding Habits ...

This bird forages for food on the tree trunk

This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten .

Breeding, Habitat and Nesting Habits ...

The Grey Cuckooshrike is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird lays between 1 to 2 eggs and they are coloured brown.

The nest is built high up in the tree canopy and is protected from predators by branches and the dense green foligae.

This bird is very common in most of the Southern African Forests

You can see the Grey Cuckooshrike bird on coastal regions and on the sea shore where the bird will be foraging with other birds

Seen in Flocks, Singles or Pairs Normally ...

This bird is usually seen in small family groups or in large flocks

The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition * edited by PAR Hockey, WRJ Dean and PG Ryan, published by "The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund."