Akalat
Akalats | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Muscicapidae |
Genus: | Sheppardia , 1909
Haagner |
Type species | |
Sheppardia gunningi[1] Haagner, 1909
| |
Species | |
See text. |
The akalats (stressed on the second syllable)[2] are medium-sized insectivorous birds in the genus Sheppardia. They were formerly placed in the thrush family, Turdidae, but are more often now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae.
The genus contains 11
- Grey-winged robin-chat, Sheppardia polioptera (formerly placed in Cossypha)
- Short-tailed akalat, Sheppardia poensis (split from S. bocagei)[4]
- Bocage's akalat, Sheppardia bocagei
- Lowland akalat, Sheppardia cyornithopsis
- Equatorial akalat, Sheppardia aequatorialis
- Sharpe's akalat, Sheppardia sharpei
- East coast akalat, Sheppardia gunningi
- Gabela akalat, Sheppardia gabela
- Rubeho akalat, Sheppardia aurantiithorax
- Usambara akalat, Sheppardia montana
- Iringa akalat, Sheppardia lowei
Taxonomy and etymology
The genus Sheppardia was introduced in 1909 by the South African ornithologist Alwin Karl Haagner with the East coast akalat (Sheppardia gunningi) as the type species.[5] The name of the genus was chosen to honour the collector and farmer P. A. Sheppard.[5][6][7]
Richard Bowdler Sharpe, who had never visited Africa, associated the akalats, in their Bulu appellation, with birds of "different kinds" occurring in the forest understorey.[8] His main collector in West Africa, George L. Bates, denoted them more specifically as "little members of the genus Turdinus, which are called in Fang and Bulu "Akalat"....".[9] The latter genus denoted a group of Old World babblers, currently classed as near-babblers in the genus Illadopsis.
Yet the calls of the aforementioned species only doubtfully agree with the akalat's appellation as an omen of death. It is recorded that the akalat's forest song, respectively referred to as "boofio" and "woofio" by the Bulu and Ntumu peoples, is believed by them to predict the death of a near parent who bids them farewell with this song.[13]
References
- ^ "Muscicapidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
- ^ As recorded by George L. Bates
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David (eds.). "Chats, Old World flycatchers". World Bird List Version 6.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ "Species Updates – IOC World Bird List". Retrieved 2021-06-18.
- ^ a b Haagner, Alwin Karl (1909). "Descriptions of two new species of flycatchers from the Portuguese south-east Africa". Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 1: 179–180 [180].
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ Plug, C. "S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science". S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- .
- .
- ^ Reichenow, A. (1905). Die Vögel Afrikas, Vol. 3. Neudamm: J. Neumann.
- ^ Jackson, F.J. & Sclater W.L. (1938). The birds of Kenya Colony and the Uganda Protectorate, Vol. 2. London: Gurney & Jackson.
- ^ A New Dictionary of Birds, ed. Sir A. Landsborough Thomson (London, Nelson, 1964)
- ^ Culture Vive, Phénomène des Présages Chez les Fang/Beti, under Beti-Fang-Bulu, retrieved 4 July 2017[permanent dead link]: Un autre présage de mort est le chant de l’oiseau appelé «akalat», chez les Bulu «Boofio», chez les Ntumu «Woofio». Ce chant est toujours entendu dans la forêt et prédit la mort d’un proche parent qui par ce chant vous fait ses adieux.