Boulder chat
{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Boulder chat, Pinarornis plumosus, at Lake Chivero, Harare, Zimbabwe. (21294239804).jpg
| image_caption = At Lake Chivero, Harare, Zimbabwe
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Pinarornis
| parent_authority = Sharpe, 1876
| species = plumosus
| authority = Sharpe, 1876
}}
The boulder chat (Pinarornis plumosus) is a species of bird in the thrush family Turdidae native to dry woodland and savanna in Southern Africa. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Pinarornis.
Taxonomy
The boulder chat was formally described in 1876 by the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe. He introduced a new genus specifically for this species and coined the binomial name Pinarornis plumosus.{{ cite book | last1=Layard | first1=Edgar Leopole | author1-link=Edgar Leopold Layard | last2=Sharpe | first2=R. Bowdler | author2-link=Richard Bowdler Sharpe | title=The Birds of South Africa | edition=2nd | date=1876 | location=London | publisher=Bernard Quaritch | pages=230–231 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13970011 }} The genus name combines the Ancient Greek pinaros meaning "dirty" with ornis meaning "bird". The specific epithet plumosus is Latin and means "feathered" or "downy".{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=307, 311 }}
Although formerly classified in the family Muscicapidae, a 2020 phylogenetic study, the results of which were followed by the International Ornithological Congress, indicates that Pinarornis is in fact a basal clade within the thrush family Turdidae.{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | date=July 2021 | title=Thrushes | work=IOC World Bird List Version 11.2 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/thrushes/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | accessdate=19 July 2021 }}
Description
The boulder chat is a large chat, {{convert|25|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length, with brownish-black plumage and white tips to the outer tail feathers. In flight, a row of small white spots can be seen on the edge of the primary and secondary coverts. Females are similar to males but have a slightly duller plumage.
{{multiple image
| direction = vertical
| align = left
| caption_align = center
| width = 250
| image1 = Pinarornis plumosus, Mutirikwi-meer, Masvingo, Birding Weto, a.jpg
| alt1 =
| caption1 = A pair at Lake Mutirikwi, Zimbabwe
| image2 = Boulder Chat at Dzalanyama, Malawi.jpg
| alt2 =
| caption2 = In flight at Dzalanyama, Malawi
}}
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to Southern Africa, including Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. There are distinct populations in the far west of Botswana and southern Zimbabwe; north eastern Zimbabwe, extending into western Mozambique; and a third population in eastern Zambia extending up the Luangwa valley into Malawi.
The boulder chat inhabits well-wooded savanna terrain with large granite boulders or scree, usually in woodland areas, especially miombo.{{cite web|url=http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/610.pdf|title=Boulder chat - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds}} This species belongs to a monotypic genus which has no near relatives and it is considered that it evolved on the southern African granite shield, which formation's extent is almost identical to the distribution of the boulder chat.{{cite book | last1 = Stuart Irwin | first1 = Michael P. | year = 1981 |title = The Birds of Zimbabwe | pages = 276 | publisher = Quest | isbn = 0-908306-01-6}}
Ecology
Conservation
The IUCN currently classifies the boulder chat as Least Concern. The species may however be under some pressure from habitat loss due to the invasive weed Lantana camara.
References
External links
- [http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Pinarornis-plumosus Recordings at Xeno-Canto]
{{Passerida|M.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1587731}}
Category:Vertebrates of Zimbabwe