Caterpillar catcher

Caterpillar catcher

We are delighted that Reiner Fahrenberger has taken over the sponsorship of the forest caterpillar catcher
(Coracina caesia).

A typical canopy dweller in rainforests and other forest formations is the forest caterpillar catcher, whose distribution area is discontinuous in parts of West Africa on the one hand and in various East African countries on the other. It belongs to the family Campephagidae, which gets its name from an unusual formation on its back and rump plumage: the erectable feathers taper into pointed spines and are thought to be used in defence against predators.

In English, the cuckoo shrikes are called "cuckoo shrikes" ("cuckoo" = cuckoo; "shrike" = shrike). However, even though the members of this bird family are similar to cuckoos or shrikes due to their mostly inconspicuous colouring and body shape, they are not more closely related to them.

The German name "Raupenfänger" is somewhat more accurate: The favoured food of many species of this bird family are caterpillars - but crickets, some beetle species and other insects are also eaten. The forest caterpillar catcher forages high up in the treetops and catches its prey in flight or hops from branch to branch and collects it from the foliage with its powerful beak, which is curved downwards like a hook at the tip.