Black-headed Gonolek

Laniarius erythrogaster

Other Names

    Gonolek à ventre rouge   Scharlachwürger         Gonolek testanera

World: Africa - there are 2 populations, one in the S of the continent from Angola, Zimbabwe to central South Africa. The northern population occurs between 5°N and 15°N from Senegambia in the W to Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Kenya: Occurs primarily in the Lake Victoria basin and the southern Kerio Valley, wanders further N as far as Lake Baringo. In the northern borders areas birds seen represent the southerly limit of the Sudanese and Ethiopian populations.

This is a very distinctive Bush-shrike which is generally unobtrusive but does become more confiding in open gardens and close to human habitation. It has a very distinctive duet call, the male makes a loud, clear, almost bell-like note which the female responds to immediately with a harsh grating noise. The response is so immediate that it sounds like a single call.