Southern Fiscal: how to recognise it
A bird of Africa. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Paul Hoekman · CC BY · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Lanius collaris
- Family
- Shrikes
- Size
- About 22 cm
- Habitat
- Open scrub, farmland and gardens
- Found in
- Africa
The key marks
Black above with a white V on the back, white below and a long black tail with white sides. Females show chestnut flanks. Northern Fiscal is almost identical, so range is the best clue: this one lives in southern Africa.
Voice
Harsh, scolding calls and a varied, scratchy song that includes mimicry.
Good to know
Like other shrikes, it impales prey such as insects and lizards on thorns or barbed wire to store it.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Northern Fiscal. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in open scrub, farmland and gardens. It is especially common in South Africa. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.