Dr. Hopkinson—Shrikes as Cage-birds



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Babblers I brought home caught in the hand on a fence in broad day¬

light while engaged in scolding at another bird below him.


I had forgotten that these birds had so extensive a range in Africa

and that the West and South African birds are both senegalus till I

looked it up. I think, however, that the Gambian birds are rather more

ruddy than these I saw the other day, and I see (from Shelley) that the

two are subspecifically separated, Tschagra senegalus (Linn), Senegal

to Liberia, T. s. erythroptera (Shaw), South Africa.


Of the Puffback-Shrikes, if I remember rightly, there were two.

They had broken their tails and generally roughened themselves, but

were fat and healthy. Although now very steady, they obviously did

not at first take so kindly to cage-life as the others must have done.

Black and white, and the long soft white back feathers are the

main features of their coloration. In the Gambia our Puff back is

D. gambensis. I have never attempted to keep them and consider that

their successful importation is (together with that of the Drongos)

an even greater achievement than that of senegalus. Both Puffbacks

and Drongos have always seemed to me too flycatchery and difficult

to attempt.


Of the Bush-Shrikes the species which I should rather keep than

any, on account of his striking plumage, is : —


The Barbary Bush-Shrike, Laniarius barbarus.


This bird is glossy black above, below (from chin to vent) bright

scarlet, and its crown and forehead are yellow, a bird therefore to

catch the eye. They are quite common in the Gambia all the year

round, and frequent in pairs the outskirts of thick bush, particularly

along the swamps and near bush-wells or pools. Their call-note is

” tchirk-tchirk ”, while besides they have a short whistling song of a

few notes.


I have kept several, but never for any length of time. All fed well,

probably too well, on large insects, lizards, small birds, mice, etc., but

I never got one on to a diet suitable for a homeward voyage. I must

say I never tried very hard, for I do not think I ever had one near the

time for my leave, so that I was never tempted to try and keep them

when there was any difficulty in getting live food.



