Picathartes |
|
Scientific classification |
Kingdom: |
Animalia
|
Phylum: |
Chordata
|
Class: |
Aves
|
Order: |
Passeriformes
|
Family: |
Picathartidae
Lowe, 1938 |
Genus: |
Picathartes
Lesson, 1828 |
|
Species |
See text. |
The picathartes, rockfowl or bald crows
are a small family of two
passerine
bird
species found in the rain-forests of tropical west and
central
Africa. They have unfeathered heads, and feed on insects
and molluscs picked from damp rocky areas. Both species are
totally
non-migratory, being dependent on a specialised rocky
jungle habitat.
These are lanky birds with
crow-like bills, long neck, tail and legs, and strong
feet adapted to terrestrial feeding. They are similar in
size and structure to the completely unrelated
roadrunners, but they hop rather than walk. They also
have brightly coloured bald heads.
Picathartes breed colonially. The nest is made of mud
attached to a cave roof or overhanging rock on a cliff. Two
eggs are laid.
The White-necked Rockfowl is found in rocky forest
areas at higher altitudes from Sierra Leone to Togo. It has grey upperparts, white underparts and a
yellow head with a black patch on each side.
The Grey-necked Rockfowl breeds in southern
Cameroon, northern Nigeria and neighbouring areas of central Africa. It has
grey upperparts and throat. The underparts are pale orange
and the head is violet at the front and red at the back,
again with black side patches.
Species of Picathartidae
- White-necked Rockfowl, Picathartes gymnocephalus
Grey-necked Rockfowl, Picathartes oreas
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