Ground Cuckoo-Shrikes are one of our sociable species - that is the young of the year remain in a family group and may stay until the following breeding season and even help to feed the young. This is why you'll nearly always encounter Ground Cuckoo-Shrikes in small groups - three is the most common.

In flight, they look quite black and white so it's easy to mistake them for magpies. In some areas where the seasons vary in quality, they can be almost nomadic, looking for the good times whereas in better country, they do return year after year to the same general area, even the same tree! to nest.

As the name suggests, Ground Cuckoo-Shrikes feed entirely on the ground. Because there are several pairs of eyes watching they are extremely difficult to approach and I still have no picture of a feeding bird. They prefer lightly timbered country interspersed with clearings or natural grassland which means they are more frequently found inland than in coastal regions.