# Black-faced cuckooshrike
The black-faced cuckooshrike (*Coracina novaehollandiae*) is a slender, blue-gray Australian songbird of the family Campephagidae, marked in adults by a black face and throat, that lives in almost any wooded habitat and is a familiar sight on suburban power lines. Despite the name, it is neither a cuckoo nor a shrike: the group is called cuckoo-shrikes because their feather patterns resemble those of cuckoos and their bill shape resembles that of shrikes.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) It is native to Australia and southern [New Guinea](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-guinea).[2](https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=3F47C5E154656A85)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | *Coracina novaehollandiae* (Gmelin, 1789), family Campephagidae, order Passeriformes[3](https://itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=559467) |
| Size | 32 cm to 34 cm[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) |
| Plumage | Black face and throat, blue-gray back, wings and tail, white underparts; juveniles have the mask reduced to an eye stripe[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) |
| Alternative names | Shufflewing, Blue Jay[4](https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) |
| Range | Australia (including Tasmania) and southern New Guinea[2](https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=3F47C5E154656A85) • [5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm) |
| Movement | Partially nomadic, with some northward migrations; flocks of up to a hundred birds form outside the breeding season[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) |
| Breeding | Season August to February (varies in more arid areas); young spend 21 days in the nest[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) |
| Conservation status | IUCN Least Concern[4](https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) |
## Taxonomy
ITIS lists the species as valid under *Coracina novaehollandiae* (Gmelin, 1789) in the family Campephagidae, the cuckoo-shrikes, within the perching birds (Passeriformes).[3](https://itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=559467) Three subspecies are recognized: *C. n. melanops* (Latham, 1802), *C. n. novaehollandiae* (Gmelin, 1789), and *C. n. subpallida* (Mathews, 1912).[3](https://itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=559467) The genus name *Coracina* dates to Vieillot, 1816, and the family to Vigors, 1825.[3](https://itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=559467)
## Identification
Adults have a black face and throat, blue-gray back, wings and tail, and white underparts, with black feather tips on the wings.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) • [5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm) The species is 32 to 34 cm long.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) Young birds resemble the adults except that the black facial mask is reduced to an eye stripe, and juveniles are a more faded gray.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) • [5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm)
**Wing shuffling.** On landing, the bird lifts and shuffles its folded wings, a habit that gave rise to the alternative name Shufflewing; most other species in the family do the same.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) The behavior is most often performed on high, exposed perches such as dead branches or power lines, which the birds use as vantage points before swooping down on prey.[5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm)
**Flight and voice.** In flight the bird appears rather lazy: a few wing flaps are followed by a glide with the wings held at the sides, during which the bird loses elevation until it flaps again, producing a characteristic undulating pattern.[4](https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) The call most often heard is a soft churring, often described as a warbling "creearck".[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/)
The similar White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (*Coracina papuensis*) is slightly smaller, with similar body and wing color but a much smaller black eye patch.[5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm)
## Distribution and habitat
The species is found right across Australia, including Tasmania, and in southern New Guinea.[2](https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=3F47C5E154656A85) • [5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm) It occupies almost any wooded habitat except rainforests, including thick woodland, forests, and suburban backyards, and is familiar in many suburbs, where birds perch on overhead wires and television aerials.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) • [5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm) This abundant bird has a broad distribution; when breeding has ended, family groups and gatherings numbering as many as one hundred individuals come together.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/)
**Movement.** The species is partially nomadic, with some northward migrations.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) In the Canberra region, numbers drop slightly over winter as birds move a small distance, and the local population is described as fairly stable with a slight decline.[5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm)
## Feeding
Black-faced cuckooshrikes eat insects and other invertebrates, which may be caught in the air, taken from foliage, or caught on the ground; they also eat some fruits and seeds.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) Foraging birds may hover in the wind, plucking invertebrates from the foliage of trees and shrubs without alighting.[4](https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) Prey items can reach the size of a praying mantis or a centipede.[6](https://www.mdahlem.net/birds/22/bfcshrk.php)
## Breeding
Pairs may mate with the same partner each year and reuse the same territories year after year.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) The breeding season runs from August to February, varying in more arid areas; in the Canberra region most nesting occurs from mid-November to early January.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) • [5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm)
The nest is remarkably small for the size of the bird: a shallow saucer of sticks and bark bound together with cobwebs, built on an exposed tree branch at a range of heights.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) • [5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm) A clutch is two creamy-brown eggs with brown spots.[5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm) Both partners construct the nest and care for the young; the nestling period is 21 days, and dependent young can be seen from December to mid-April in the Canberra region.[1](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) • [5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm)
## Conservation
The species is evaluated as Least Concern by the IUCN.[4](https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) It is not listed under Australia's EPBC Act 1999 and is considered secure nationally.[5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm) BirdLife Australia lists habitat destruction and climate change among threats to the species.[4](https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/) Locally, continued loss of areas with thick tree stands may threaten the species, feral cats pose a threat to young birds in the nest, and the birds can spread weed seeds by eating introduced berries.[5](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm)
## References
1. [Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Australian Museum](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/)
2. [Coracina [novaehollandiae, macei, javensis or personata] (Black-faced, Wallacean, Large, or Javan Cuckooshrike), Avibase](https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=3F47C5E154656A85)
3. [ITIS Report: Coracina novaehollandiae (Gmelin, 1789), TSN 559467](https://itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=559467)
4. [Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, BirdLife Australia](https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/black-faced-cuckoo-shrike/)
5. [Coracina novaehollandiae species fact sheet, Lucid Central key server](https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/03050501-000c-4503-8203-0a030507090d/media/Html/Coracina_novaehollandiae.htm)
6. [Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae), M. Dahlem fauna pages](https://www.mdahlem.net/birds/22/bfcshrk.php)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Animals › Vertebrates › Birds › Passerines and songbirds*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license