Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike - BirdForum Opus

Photo by Steve G.
Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Kenya, August 2007

Prionops scopifrons

Identification

Length 16-18 cm. A dark grey helmetshrike with a chestnut forehead of short, stiff feathers. Bill, legs and feet red; eye wattle blue.

Distribution

East Africa: Southern Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Taxonomy

There are three subspecies:¹

• P. s. keniensis:

• Central Kenya

• P. s. kirki:

• Coastal southern Somalia to eastern Kenya (Lamu) and north-eastern Tanzania

• P. s. scopifrons:

• South-eastern Tanzania to Mozambique and Zimbabwe

Habitat

This species favours mature Brachystegia forest through which they constantly wander.

Behaviour

They move in large mobile mixed-species feeding flocks which include scimitarbills, Retz's Helmetshrike, monarch flycatchers, honeyguides and in Arabuko-Sokoke forest the rare and very localised Clarke's Weaver.

Breeding

These live in family groups. Members within the clan assist the dominate pair in rearing their young.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
3. BF Member observations

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 February 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Chestnut-fronted_Helmetshrike

External Links

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