The black-faced cuckoo-shrike is usually seen singly or in pairs, although groups of up to ten birds are occasionally observed. However, in the southern parts of its range, this species is migratory (5), and it is known to gather in large numbers prior to migration (2).
The diet of the black-faced cuckoo-shrike consists of a wide variety of invertebrates, such as grasshoppers, dragonflies, spiders and worms (2), as well as seeds and fruits (2) (3), including mistletoe, figs and berries (2).
The black-faced cuckoo-shrike usually forages for food among the foliage of the canopy (2) (6), as well as under bark (2). Most prey is caught by flying out from a perch, known as sallying, although insects are sometimes caught on short hovering flights over trees or low grass (2) (6). The black-faced cuckoo-shrike is also known to seize insects from the ground (2) (4), behaving like a shrike and swooping down from a favourite perch to catch its invertebrate prey (4). Large prey items, such as moths and larvae, are usually bashed against a branch before being consumed (6).
The timing of breeding in the black-faced cuckoo-shrike varies depending on the location, although in arid regions it often occurs after the rains. Populations in northern Australia breed between May and February, while those in the south breed between August and January. Like all other cuckoo-shrike species, the black-faced cuckoo-shrike is monogamous, and both sexes are involved in building the nest (2).
The black-faced cuckoo-shrike’s small nest is a neat, shallow cup made of fine twigs, bark and dry grasses, which is lined with finer materials (2) and bound together with spider webs (2) (3). The nest is placed on the horizontal fork of a tree, usually between 8 and 20 metres above the ground, and the adult birds defend it by diving at intruders, or posturing by raising the feathers of the crown, back and rump, fanning the tail and opening the mouth to display the pink-red palate (2).
The female black-faced cuckoo-shrike lays a clutch of two to three eggs, which are incubated by both sexes, although the incubation period is unknown (2). Both the male and the female black-faced cuckoo-shrike care for the young birds (2) (3), which fledge at 22 to 26 days old (2).