Campephagidae

Campephagidae 

a family of birds comprising the cuckoo-shrikes and minivets of the order Passeriformes. The body length measures 13–36 cm. The bill at the base is widened and surrounded by bristles; the tip is hooked. The legs are short and weak. The tail is rounded or graduated. The wings are pointed. The plumage is most often gray; in some species it is red or yellow. There are nine genera, comprising 70 species. They are primarily distributed in the subtropics and tropics of Asia, Australia, and Africa. In the USSR there is one species—the ashy minivet (Pericrocotus roseus)—which in size and coloring resembles the white wagtail. The ashy minivet is found in the Amur and Primor’e regions. The Campephagidae are primarily arboreal birds. They prefer sparse plantings. One species lives in the desert. The nests are on trees; two to five eggs are laid per clutch. The Campephagidae feed on insects, which they catch in flight or gather on trees or, more rarely, on the ground.