New Family in IOC : Salpornithidae (1 Viewer)

[Jose Ramon]

Hi all,

From IOC diary updates:

Aug 6 Recognize the family Salpornithidae for the two Spotted Creepers.


- Indian Spotted Creeper (Salpornis spilonota)

- African Spotted Creeper (Salpornis salvadori)

Probably, they will include the new family in the IOC 14.2 version that should be available very soon.

Regards,

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

One more I need to see; where are they easiest to find?

 

[Rob Hunt]

Around Lake Awassa, Ethiopia.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Cheers Rob.

 

[Mysticete]

I've seen the Indian species listed as a target on tours to Western India as well

 

[YuShan]

I've only seen the African one (indeed in Awassa) in 2014 on one of my cheapest trips ever. (€943 for 53 days incl everything except flight - Ethiopia is (was?) awesome for independent ultra-low budget birding).

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I've only seen the African one (indeed in Awassa) in 2014 on one of my cheapest trips ever. (€943 for 53 days incl everything except flight - Ethiopia is (was?) awesome for independent ultra-low budget birding).

Assuming you can get your binoculars into the country.

And Lake Awasa is where I saw that family also.

 

[YuShan]

Assuming you can get your binoculars into the country.

And Lake Awasa is where I saw that family also.

Yes, that wasn't a problem at the time. Hopefully the situation will normalise, because it was an amazing (and safe) place to visit independently and dirt cheap too!

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Ooooh, Jealous. We couldn't get up to see the Geladas. Not safe.

 

[Jacana]

I've only seen African, in Comoé NP, Côte d'Ivoire. Most certainly not the easiest location though! However, there is similar habitat in Mole NP in neighbouring Ghana which looks like a generally easier place to visit. Quite a few eBird records there too.

Wherever you try to see them though, they should be at the top of your target list. Absolutely fantastic birds. Like spotty Wallcreepers!

 

[Larry Sweetland]

I've seen the Indian species listed as a target on tours to Western India as well

The Indian one used to be
pretty reliable in one corner of the botanic gardens in Jaipur, though I had to wait for a few hours to score. Maybe it still is?

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I've only seen African, in Comoé NP, Côte d'Ivoire. Most certainly not the easiest location though! However, there is similar habitat in Mole NP in neighbouring Ghana which looks like a generally easier place to visit. Quite a few eBird records there too.

Wherever you try to see them though, they should be at the top of your target list. Absolutely fantastic birds. Like spotty Wallcreepers!

BIG spotty Wallcreepers:

 

[gusasp]

Nice to see them recognized as a family! I wonder what’s next? I reckon Eurocephalua deserves its own family. Personally I hope for both a few less (the merger of stilts, avocets, oystercatchers and ibisbill – way younger splits than other families) and a few more (splits of cuckoos – old splits of recognizable clades).

 

[Markus Lagerqvist]

The Indian one used to be
pretty reliable in one corner of the botanic gardens in Jaipur, though I had to wait for a few hours to score. Maybe it still is?

I think the Indian one has gotten a lot more tricky. I spent a lot of time searching for it around Tal Chhapar in Rajasthan, which is one of the best spots, but sadly dipped on it.

The African one is easier, I've seen it in both at Ngaoundaba Ranch in Cameroon and at Mount Moco in Angola.

 

[Mysticete]

Nice to see them recognized as a family! I wonder what’s next? I reckon Eurocephalua deserves its own family. Personally I hope for both a few less (the merger of stilts, avocets, oystercatchers and ibisbill – way younger splits than other families) and a few more (splits of cuckoos – old splits of recognizable clades).

If Jayshrike is recognized at the family level than you kind of have to split off Eurocephalus.

For a lump, Sheathbill and Magellanic Plover are also a surprisingly young divergence. Howard and Moore already lump them into a single family.

 

[Ian Lewis]

I think the Indian one has gotten a lot more tricky. I spent a lot of time searching for it around Tal Chhapar in Rajasthan, which is one of the best spots, but sadly dipped on it.

The African one is easier, I've seen it in both at Ngaoundaba Ranch in Cameroon and at Mount Moco in Angola.

I saw the Indian Spotted Creeper at Tal Chhapar in 2019 with Atul Gurjar as a local guide.

Has the situation deteriorated since then?