Photo: Dick Daniels (https://theworldbirds.org/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-backed Puffback
Dryoscopus cubla
Black-backed Puffback (Dryoscopus cubla) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-backed Puffback (Dryoscopus cubla) is a member of the Malaconotidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 26.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Malaconotidae Bushshrikes
- Genus Dryoscopus
- Species cubla
Quick facts
- Weight
- 26.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Malaconotidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-backed Puffback is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-backed Puffback is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-backed Puffback (Dryoscopus cubla) is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF c, e, s.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 26.2 g, with a wing length of about 7.9 cm and a tail of around 6.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-backed Puffback?
The Black-backed Puffback is a small bird that weighs around 26.2 g.
Where does the Black-backed Puffback live?
The Black-backed Puffback is found across Africa with a range covering AF c, e, s, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-backed Puffback belong to?
The Black-backed Puffback (Dryoscopus cubla) belongs to the Malaconotidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-backed Puffback eat?
The Black-backed Puffback is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-backed Puffback migrate?
The Black-backed Puffback is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-backed Puffback endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-backed Puffback make?
1 real field recording of the Black-backed Puffback — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-backed Puffback's range?
The Black-backed Puffback has a mapped global range of about 5.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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