Triller

Trillers
File:Pied Triller male.jpg
Male Pied Triller (Lalage nigra)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Campephagidae
Genus:	Lalage F. Boie, 1826
Species
See text.

The trillers (Lalage) are a genus of passerine birds belonging to the cuckoo-shrike family Campephagidae. Their name comes from the loud trilling calls of the males. There are about 12 species which occur in southern Asia and Australasia with a number of species on Pacific islands. They feed mainly on insects and fruit. They build a neat cup-shaped nest high in a tree.

They are fairly small birds, about 15 to 20 cm long. They are mainly black, grey and white in colour.

Most species are fairly common but the Samoan Triller is considered to be Near Threatened and the Norfolk Island subspecies of the Long-tailed Triller has become extinct.

Species list

• Polynesian Triller, Lalage maculosa
• Samoan Triller, Lalage sharpei
• Long-tailed Triller, Lalage leucopyga
  • Norfolk Island Triller, Lalage (leucopyga) leucopyga - extinct (1976)
• White-shouldered Triller, Lalage sueurii
• White-winged Triller, Lalage tricolor
• Rufous-bellied Triller, Lalage aurea
• Black-browed Triller, Lalage atrovirens
• White-browed Triller, Lalage moesta
• Varied Triller, Lalage leucomela
• Mussau Triller, Lalage conjuncta
• Black-and-white Triller, Lalage melanoleuca
• Pied Triller, Lalage nigra
• White-rumped Triller, Lalage leucopygialis
• Mauritius Cuckooshrike, Lalage typica
• Reunion Cuckooshrike, Lalage newtoni
• Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Lalage melaschistos
• Black-headed Cuckooshrike, Lalage melanoptera
• Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Lalage polioptera
• Lesser Cuckooshrike, Lalage fimbriata

References

• Perrins, Christopher, ed. (2004) The New Encyclopedia of Birds, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

This article is part of Project Bird Genera, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each genus, including made-up genera.