Pied Triller
Lalage nigra
斑鹃鵙
Introduction
The pied triller (Lalage nigra) is a species of bird in the cuckooshrike family Campephagidae. It is found across Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Three subspecies are recognized: L. n. davisoni in the Nicobar Islands, L. n. striga across the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Nias, Bangka, Belitung, Java, Karimunjawa, and Bali, and L. n. nigra in Borneo and the Philippines. The species was originally described by Thomas Pennant in 1781 as Turdus niger, based on a specimen collected in the East Indies.
Description
As suggested by the common name, this species exhibits pied plumage, featuring contrasting black and white coloration. The genus Lalage contains approximately 20 species of small to medium-sized cuckooshrikes, typically characterized by compact builds and relatively short tails. Specific plumage details and measurements are not provided in the source material.
Distribution & Habitat
The species occurs across Southeast Asia including the Nicobar Islands (India), the Malay Peninsula, the Greater Sunda Islands (Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Bangka, Belitung), the Lesser Sunda Islands (Bali, Karimunjawa), the Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, and Thailand. Subspecies L. n. striga occupies the western and central portions of the range while L. n. nigra is found in Borneo and the Philippines.
Behavior & Ecology
No detailed behavioral information is available in the source article.
Conservation
No conservation information is available in the source article.
Culture
No cultural significance information is available in the source article.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Campephagidae
- Genus
- Lalage
- eBird Code
- pietri1
Vocalizations
Subspecies (3)
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Lalage nigra davisoni
Nicobar Islands
-
Lalage nigra nigra
Borneo and Philippines
-
Lalage nigra striga
Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and offshore islands
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.