Cuckooshrikes & Minivets

The Cuckooshrikes and allies in the family Campephagidae are small to medium-sized passerine bird species found in the subtropical and tropical Africa, Asia and Australasia. The 93 species are divided into 11 genera. The woodshrikes (Tephrodornis) were often considered to be in this family but are now placed in their own family, Vangidae, along with the philentomas and the flycatcher-shrikes. Another genus, Chlamydochaera, which has one species, the black-breasted fruithunter, was often placed in this family but has now been shown to be a thrush (Turdidae).

Cuckooshrikes are not closely related to either the cuckoos or to the shrikes; the name probably comes from the grey colour of many of the cuckooshrikes. Some of the species also bear a superficial resemblance to cuckoos, and have a similar undulating flight. The grey colouration has led to one of their other names, the greybird. In some parts of the world they have also been known as caterpillar-birds, a name derived from their diet. Although unsuspected earlier, DNA studies have suggested they may be related to the Old World orioles (Oriolidae), although they differ strongly in some morphological characteristics (such as skull morphology and the arrangements of feathers on the wing).

A molecular phylogenetic study of the Campephegidae published in 2010 found that the speciose genus Coracina was non-monophyletic. In the resulting reorganization to create monophyletic genera five genera were resurrected. A large group of species previously assigned to Coracina was moved to Edolisoma and a group of Asian and Indian Ocean cuckooshrikes was moved to Lalage. The African cuckooshrikes were moved to Ceblepyris, and three species were placed in monotypic genera: