Ghost raiders

Bush-shrikes are my favourite bird family. Except for the more conspicuous bokmakierie, they are skulkers extraordinaire and are seldom seen, despite being some of the most beautiful birds around. Their calls often give them away. The ghostly call of the greyheaded bush-shrike – aptly named a “spookvoël” in Afrikaans – is a common bushveld sound. It’s a low whoooooo, like someone blowing across a bottle neck, often heard while the bird remains frustratingly out of sight. If you do manage to find one, a closer inspection will reveal a well-developed hooked beak, which should give you some idea of its carnivorous nature. They’re not picky eaters – I’ve observed them eating everything from insects to a venomous twig snake and even a flap-necked chameleon (pictured). A pair of shrikes had caught the chameleon and they wanted to eat it in the tree canopy, but the reptile proved too big to handle and it fell to the ground on a few occasions – unfortunate for the shrikes but great for me trying to capture this rarely seen behaviour. Grey-headed bush-shrikes are also notorious raiders of birds’ nests. During the breeding season, they are often mobbed by other birds in an attempt to drive them away. Their secretive nature enables them to locate numerous nests. Once a nest is found, the shrike will leave nothing behind, devouring chicks and eggs. This might seem needlessly destructive, but consider the behaviour in context: Altered habitats have resulted in a significant drop in the number of natural nest predators, like snakes and other raptors. In the absence of these predators, the shrike plays an important role in controlling bird numbers and keeping a natural balance.