- Picathartes gymnocephalus
Description
Also known as White-necked Picathartes, Yellow-headed Picathartes/ Rockfowl
Large, strange looking passerine with a large, sharp bill, long, fairly broad tail and strong legs. Most of the bare-skinned head is quite remarkable with the yellow skin contrasting sharply with the black 'skull-cap' and upper ear area. Upperparts and tail are a dark slaty grey/ blackish brown contrasting strikingly with the soft white underparts (often washed lemon) extending from the neck and throat to the vent. The bill is black and the legs are a darkish grey. The sexes are alike.
Identification
Distribution
Forests of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species. The family Picathartidae is a single genus with two species, the White-necked Picathartes Picathartes gymnocephalus and the Grey-necked Picathartes Picathartes oreas Both are confined to the West and Central African rainforest belt, the White-necked, west of the 'Dahomey Gap' in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ghana and the Grey-necked, east of the 'Dahomey Gap' from southern Nigeria through to PRC Congo. There has been much controversy placing this genus systematically as its various placements in crows (Corvidae) , starlings (Sturnidae) , flycatchers (Muscicapidae) and the babblers ( Timaliidae) should illustrate. Its now widely accepted family status is now usually positioned near the thrush-babbler grouping
Habitat
Primary and Secondary Rainforest with rugged granite caves, cliffs and overhanging rocks in relatively isolated areas usually close to water though is tolerant of disturbed habitat.
