Picathartidae
| Picathartes | |
|---|---|
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|
| White-necked rockfowl (Picathartes gymnocephalus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Suborder: | Passeri |
| Family: |
Picathartidae Lowe, 1938 |
| Genus: |
Picathartes Lesson, 1828 |
| Species | |
 |
|
| White-necked (pink) and grey-necked (green) rockfowl distribution | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Galgulus Wagler, 1827 (non Brisson, 1760: preoccupied) |
|
Galgulus Wagler, 1827 (non Brisson, 1760: preoccupied)
The picathartes, rockfowl or bald crows are a small genus of two passerine bird species forming the family Picathartidae found in the rain-forests of tropical west and central Africa. They have unfeathered heads, and feed on insects and invertebrates picked from damp rocky areas. Both species are totally non-migratory, being dependent on a specialised rocky jungle habitat. Both species are listed as vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List.
The taxonomic position of the clade and its two species has been confusing. At various times, it has been grouped with the babblers, flycatchers, starlings, crows and others before being placed in a family of its own.Serle in 1952 thought it resembled the Asian genus Eupetes while Sibley used egg-albumin protein similarity, determined by electrophoresis, to suggest that it belonged to the Timaliidae. Olson revived the idea that it was related to Eupetes in 1979. A molecular sequence based study suggests that it may indeed be closely related to the crows and placed somewhere at the boundary between the Passerida and Corvida.
This generic name comes from a combination of the Latin genera pica for "magpie" and cathartes for "vulture".
A possible third species may exist in Uganda, in the vicinity of the Kazinga Channel, linking Lake Edward with Lake George.
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Wikipedia