Mashatu is a private game reserve in the Tuli Block which is in south-eastern Botswana. It has several ecosystems which are unique in Botswana. Along the seasonal rivers the vegetation is relatively thick, and the river is lined with large trees such as Leadwoods, Apple Leafs and Nyala Berries (affectionately called Mashatu trees). In the dry season from May to November much of the wildlife congregates around the remaining pools of water in the seasonal rivers. Away from the rivers there are grasslands, sections of mustard bushes, groves of crotons and large areas of mopanis and of dry acacia thornveld.

It is in the areas of acacia thornveld that we find Mashatu’s crimson jewels, Crimson-breasted shrikes. These shrikes have black upper parts and their tail is black. This shrike’s throat, chest and belly and vent are all a stunning scarlet-crimson red colour. Its beak is black and it has a purplish grey iris. It has a white flash on each wing, which is mainly black. The white flash does not show under the wing only on the upper side of the wing and by the look of it the white flash extends from the primary coverts to one or two primary feathers, similar to the Southern Boubou. Both sexes have the same colouration and are monomorphic.

Similar to the Southern boubou which is found along the rivers in Mashatu, this is a restless insect eater continuously hopping along the ground in search of insects and moving up and down and in and out of acacia thorn trees and semi-arid scrub.

Thankfully, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has rated this shrike as a “least-concern species”. That said, this shrike species is more often heard than seen. While this is not a shy bird but it is constantly moving which makes it relatively difficult to get a decent photograph of it. As is so often the case, persistence will reveal one shrike that will pose beautifully allowing worthwhile images to be captured.

Although it rates as a “least concern” species, it is usually only found in specific dry thornveld areas. In Mashatu, the shrike is non-migratory so we the Crimson-breasted shrikes in similar areas throughout the year.

In my experience, this species of shrike is more often found in pairs. Their breeding season is from October to January and the female lays two to three eggs which are incubated for around 16 days. The eggs vary in colour. All have variable sized brown blotches but the base shell colour varies from cream or light brown to a light blue-green colour. The Black cuckoo is known to be a brood parasite which lays its eggs in the cup-shaped nest of the Crimson-breasted shrike.

I have been visiting Mashatu regularly for 12 years and only in late 2022 did I see a yellow-morph Crimson-breasted shrike. This is only the second time I have seen one, the first occasion was at White River country club in Mpumalanga. The usual scarlet crimson red throat, chest and belly plumage is a vivid yellow in the yellow morph. In all other respects, the yellow morph behaves in the same way as the normal Crimson-breasted shrike. It was interesting to note that the Scarlet-crimson and yellow morph shrikes do not mix. It is well known that plumage colouration is important for birds as it helps them a variety of ways such as camouflage, mate selection, social signalling and many other physiological and behavioural processes.

There are times when you can be misled by the colours of the plumage and often this is just because the bird is moulting. On more rare occasions you come across and bird with a genetic mutation which interferes with its normal pigment. These mutations can be leucism (reduced melanin), melanism (excess of dark pigmentation), xanthochroism (excess of yellow and orange instead of the red pigment) or erythrism (more than normal red pigment). The yellow morph Crimson-breasted shrike probably has xanthochroism which is a relatively rare condition but also occurs in the Black collared barbet where the red coloured plumage on the head and throat is replaced by yellow. I have yet to see this colour morph on a Black-collared barbet.

The Crimson-breasted shrike forages on the ground and in shrubs and small acacia trees mainly for insects such as ants, beetles, caterpillars and small fruits.

Once you have heard the call of a Crimson-breasted shrike you will not forget it as it is so distinctive. The voice is a loud, penetrating bell-like, flute-like, zipping or tearing sound ‘kirik-dzui-kirik’ with several other snarling or clicking notes. (Source: https://dibird.com/species/crimson-breasted-shrike/).

Seeing and watching this yellow morph Crimson-breasted shrike on three occasions and having enough time to watch its behaviour was very special. Other than it was alone, this shrike behaved the same way was as the normal Crimson-breasted shrike.

Whether the bird is just moulting or is a colour morph it is still crucial to look at the General Impression of Size and Shape (GISS) of the bird when trying to identify it. The shape posture, wing type, flying style, preferred habitat and habits are all factors in the identification, even if the colour is not the same as in the reference bird book.

The birdlife in Mashatu is prolific and varied. The types of birds you are likely to see is governed by the seasons. For instance, in the southern hemisphere most of the inter-african and Palearctic migrants only arrive around September. Mashatu’s crimson jewel is resident and can be seen all year round.

Explore, seek to understand. marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike