The picathartes are Oiseau X Passériforme S of the family of the picathartidés , connected with the corbels (corvidés) and with the Gobe-fly S of the Old world.
Ils lives in the countries in oceanic edge of Africa central and Western, of the Guinea to the Gabon.

Description

The picathartes are slim birds of the size of a large pigeon, equipped with a head appearing naked, covered with atrophied feathers, of a long nozzle, wing S short and a long tail.

The picatharte of Guinea has a yellowish head with a black nape of the neck. The remainder of the body is gray, clear on the neck and the belly, dark above. The Rémige S are black. The long legs are gray. The picatharte of Cameroun is characterized by its chamarrée head which resembles vaguely that of the Pic épeiche: the nape of the neck is red, the face is blue steel, the eye is drowned in a black triangular famous brand and the Bec is black.

Geographical distribution

The picatharte of Guinea lives in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana. The picatharte of Cameroun lives the Nigeria, the Cameroun, the Guinea Equatoriale and the Gabon.

Habitat

The picathartes are rupicolous species which attend the grounds Roche ux wet Forêt S tropical or solid masses Montagne ux, up to 1.200 meters of Altitude. They attend the rocks located in dark places, with the shelter of large the Arbre S.

Ethology

The picatharte is a discrete sparrow which seldom flies and always remains close to the ground. It moves there with the manner of the blackbird S, by great jumps. When it is frightened, it runs to be dissimulated behind a shelter or is immobilized, being drawn up on its long legs and turning the head in order to scan the surroundings.

The reproduction takes place during the rain season. Following the example Swallow S, it builds a Nid with low height - some two meters - with mud which it sticks to the ceiling of a cave or a sheltered rock overhang of the glances. The laying includes/understands two egg four centimetres length S ovoid, beiges with brown spots. The incubation lasts a little more than three weeks.

The adult is sedentary and remains near his nest.

Food

The picathartes nourish small invertebrates: Arachnida S, Insect S, Mollusc S, Ver S. It scrapes sometimes the ground to dislodge them.

Species

There exist two species of picathartes:

• Picatharte of Guinea - Picathartes gymnocephalus (Temminck, 1825) - Synonymous: picatharte bald person, picatharte bald person of Guinea, picatharte with white neck
• Picatharte of Cameroun - Picathartes oreas Reichenow, 1899 - Synonyms: picatharte with multicoloured head, picatharte with red head, picatharte with gray neck

Protection

The picathartes are reproduced on the list of the species of appendix II of the QUOTE ( Convention one International Trade in Endangered Species off Wild Fauna and Flora, i.e. Convention on the international business of the species of fauna and flora savages threatened of extinction, called of Washington) like on the red Liste of the vulnerable species of UICN (International union for the nature conservation).

References

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