Image via Macaulay Library
Black-backed Puffback
- Scientific name
- Dryoscopus cubla
- Family
- Malaconotidae
- Conservation status
- Least concern
- Habitat
- Woodland
- Wing shape
- Rounded
- Tail shape
- Notched
Where it came from
The Black-backed Puffback is a member of the bushshrike family, classified as Dryoscopus cubla. It is native to the forests and woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. The species earned its descriptive name from the male’s distinctive habit of puffing out the long, white, downy feathers on its lower back during courtship displays, which contrasts sharply against its otherwise glossy black plumage.
Evolutionarily, the species exhibits a rounded wing shape and a slightly notched tail, features that support its maneuverability while foraging for insects among dense foliage. It was first formally described by the French naturalist Henri Lichtenstein in 1823. Since its identification, the bird has been recognized for its vocal versatility, including complex duets between mates that help maintain pair bonds within the dense savanna and coastal thickets they inhabit.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
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About Black-backed Puffback
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