This is a fairly distinctive bird with white underparts and black upperparts extending from the top of the head down to the tail. The bird has a characteristic white "V" on the back and a relatively long black tail with white outer feathers and white tips on the other feathers.

The bill, eyes and legs are black. Adult male and female common fiscals are quite similar except for the rufous lower flank of the female.

Juveniles are duller and browner, with finely barred blackish feathers above and below.

They can be confused with the Fiscal Flycatcher which is shorter-tailed and narrower-billed.

Calls are a jumbled mix of shrike-like swizzling sounds including some imitations and a harsh Dzzzttt-dzzzt-dzzzt alarm call.

Scientific name:

Lanius collaris

Common names:

Common Fiscal, Butcher Bird (English)
Fiskaallaksman (Afrikaans)

Synonyms:

Fiscal Shrike, Common Fiscal Shrike

Roberts VII english name:

Common Fiscal

Roberts VII scientific name:

Lanius collaris

Family:

Shrikes (Laniidae)

Length:

22g

Weight:

40cm

Diet:

Diet consists mainly of insects, but also small vertebrates including birds, reptiles and rodents. Occasionally they will consume seeds and food scraps.

Their common name, Butcher Bird, is due to its habit of impaling its prey on acacia thorns to store the food for later consumption.

Habits:

The Common Fiscal is usually solitary and hunts insects and small rodents from an exposed perch or the tops of shrubs. Territorial size is directly related to the density of hunting perches. Installing more artificial perches causes the fiscal to reduce its territory size and allow more birds in the affected range.

The often forage close to people in gardens where they swoop down to consume insects churned up whilst gardening.

Nesting:

These birds are monogamous and build a bulky cup nest concealed fairly low in a tree or shrub.

Natural distribution:

These birds are found over most of Southern Africa.

Habitat:

The Common Fiscal lives in a wide range of habitats from grassland with fences for perching to acacia thornveld or even woodland, but avoids very dense habitats where its hunting would be impaired.

Notes:

Common Fiscals are occasional hosts of the Jacobin Cuckoo.