The Tropical Boubou or Bell Shrike (Laniarius aethiopicus) is a medium-sized passerine bird of sub-Saharan Africa. This very diverse "species" with its numerous subspecies and morphs has since long posed a taxonomic problem, and recent research suggests it is a cryptic species complex that ought to be split into several species.
The Tropical Boubou is fairly large for its family (bushshrikes), measuring 23–25 cm in length. Not only are males and females the same size, they have identical plumage too. The wings of most subspecies have a white stripe on the wing coverts. The tips of the outer tail feathers can be white in some subspecies. The bill is black, the legs and feet bluish-grey. The irides are dark reddish-brown.