About Laniarius barbarus (Linnaeus, 1766)
The yellow-crowned gonolek, with the scientific name Laniarius barbarus (Linnaeus, 1766), measures 22 cm (8.7 in) in length, and has a long tail and short wings. Adult individuals of this species are vividly coloured, though they are easy to overlook when they hide in undergrowth. Their upper parts are solid black except for a golden crown, and their underparts are scarlet except for a buff-yellow undertail. They have dark legs. The sexes have similar appearance, while juveniles are paler and duller than adults. This species is rarely seen, because it lives in thick undergrowth, though its calls can often be heard from within this habitat. Its calls include whistles and rattles, and are often sung in duet: a fluted too-lioo overlapped by a rattling ch-chacha. The yellow-crowned gonolek feeds mostly on insects found in bushes or on the ground. Its diet is mainly made up of beetles and caterpillars, though it sometimes also takes birds' eggs and nestlings. This species is monogamous and territorial. Observed courtship behaviour involves a pair chasing each other through a bush, leaping between branches, and producing metallic twanging sounds. The species builds a deep, cup-shaped nest that is often flimsy, placed within a bush, and constructed from rootlets and tendrils. Females lay two, or occasionally three, greyish-green or bluish-green eggs with dark spots.
