Black-faced Cuckooshrike

Black-faced Cuckooshrike is a common omnivorous passerine native to Australia and southern New Guinea, 32–34 cm long. Adults have a prominent black face and throat, grey plumage, white underparts and a somewhat hooked bill, and juveniles look like the adults except that the black facial mask is reduced to an eye stripe (Wikipedia, general species account). They are slow-moving, inconspicuous birds with a shrill, screaming call. The cached account does not describe any occurrence in India and the species is not in SoIB 2023, so its place on the Indian list should be checked (Wikipedia, general species account). (Wikipedia, general species account).

The diet is insects, their larvae, caterpillars and other invertebrates, with some fruits and seeds. The breeding season is chiefly August to February, both partners build the small nest, and fledglings leave about three weeks after hatching. They are widely distributed in almost any wooded habitat throughout the region, except in rainforests. But they can also occur in urban areas, and are a fairly common sight on power lines in Australian cities such as Sydney and Perth. (Wikipedia, general species account).