Corythaixoides leucogaster (Ruppell, 1842)

Body Length

This species, the white-bellied go-away bird, averages 51 cm (20 inches) in length.

Tail Features

A long, pointed grey and black tail with a white median band is one of its characteristic features.

Under-Wing Marking

It also has a white under-wing patch that is visible when the bird is in flight.

Head and Crest

Adult birds have a grey head, which leads into a dark grey to blackish pointed crest that measures approximately 6 cm long.

Ventral Plumage

The belly and under-tail coverts are white, which gives the bird the first part of its common name "white-bellied".

Bill Sexual Dimorphism

Male birds have a black bill, while female birds have a pea-green bill that becomes yellowish during the breeding season.

Weight Sexual Dimorphism

Females also tend to be larger than males: females weigh 225 g to 250 g, while males weigh 170 g to 225 g.

Juvenile Appearance

Juvenile birds are similar in appearance to adults, but their plumage is more brown, especially on the wing-coverts.

Vocalizations

Its typical calls are a nasal haa-haa-haa that sounds like a sheep bleating, and a single or repeated gwa (or g'away).

Common Name Etymology

This distinctive call gives the bird the second part of its common name "go-away".

Flocking Behavior

It flies from tree to tree in loose, straggling groups, calling loudly as it moves.

Habitat Types

The species inhabits hot acacia-steppe, savanna, and woodland areas.

Elevation Range

It avoids deep forest, and can be found at elevations ranging from sea level up to 2000 m.

Broad Distribution

Go-away birds have restricted local ranges due to water availability, but this species occurs across a large area in and around the Horn of Africa.

Country Range

It has been recorded in Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, northern and eastern Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, and northeastern Uganda, and ranges southwards into the eastern plateau of Tanzania.