Bokmakierie Shrike

Telophorus zeylonus - The Bokmakierie Shrike

The Bokmakierie is a brilliant yellow, green and grey shrike. The bill is shortish, strong, with a sharp hook at the end of the upper mandible. The legs and feet are blue/grey.

Did you know? The Bokmakierie is called "iNkovu" in Zulu.

The Bokmakierie has brilliant yellow underparts with a broad black collar separating the throat from the breast. The Bokmakierie has a grey head and thin yellow eyebrow. The back and wings are olive green.

The name, Bokmakierie, comes from its melodious call notes, often uttered in duet, from the top of a bush or tree.

Size

Weight: 68 g.
Height: 23 cm.
Wingspan: 180 - 210 cm.

Habitat

Open habitats, including highveld koppies, karoo, fynbos and semi-desert scrub. The Bokmakierie is also found in parks and gardens, orchards, vineyards in towns and cities, usually in pairs.

Distribution

The Bokmakierie Shrike is endemic to South Africa. It occurs across South Africa excluding most of the Limpopo Province. See it at the Mkhomazi State Forest in the Drakensberg, the West Coast National Park near Cape Town, various bird sanctuaries along the Garden Route, and the Wonderboom Nature Reserve near Pretoria and Johannesburg.

Diet

It's diet consists primarily of insects, small lizards and snakes, birds, frogs.

Socialisation

The Bokmakierie is a shy bird. It has little contact with other bush shrikes.

Communication

The Bokmakierie has a fair range of calls, often given in duet, The most usual call is the one after which it is named; "bok-bok-mak-kik".

Reproduction

The nest is a bulky bowl-shaped cup of twigs, stems and roots built by both parents. The nest is placed in a dense hedge or bush or in the fork of leafy tree, usually well concealed. They lay eggs year round (but egg-laying season peaks in August). 2 - 5 egs are laid. Young are fed by both parents and leave the nest after 2 to 3 weeks but are still tolerated by the parents until the next breeding season at which time they go off on their own.

Incubation

Incubation lasts 14-19 days. The eggs are incubated by the male during the day and by the mother at night.

Life Expectancy

Info required.

Predators

Snakes, mongooses and larger shrikes.