Please help with ID of birds

[Kitsafari]

Seeking help from the birding experts and enthusiasts to identify the following birds from Tswalu, SOuth Africa!

thanks much

 

 

Pix 1: could this be a fiscal shrike ?

 

 

 

Pix 2 : that's an African red eyed bulbul on the right. but not sure what bird is on the left? it looks like a Mackinnon's shrike.

 

 

 

[inyathi]

@Kitsafari I think you are right about the fiscal but not about Mackinnon's

 

Mackinnon’s shrike Lanius mackinnoni is an entirely equatorial Central African species I saw one in Gabon they range from the west coast in a narrow band across Central Africa to the far west of Kenya, so its distribution completely rules it out and it's also grey on the back and the top of the head.

 

Although there’s quite a difference in the size of the white supercilliums on these two birds I would suggest that they are in fact the same species and that they are the south-western form of the common fiscal Lanius collaris subcoronatus. I’ve not been to Tswalu but I would guess that this subspecies should occur there. The only other fiscal that has a black head with a white supercillium like this and that does look very similar is the Uhehe fiscal but this is endemic to the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. So I think that common fiscal is the only option in both cases.

[Kitsafari]

@@inyathi thanks much for the help. i thought the shrike in the second pic didn't look like the fiscal shrike as the white strip on the top of his head seemed to cover the crown as well. but that could be the angle of the bird's tilted head.

 

what you say seems to make sense.