The red-billed helmetshrike or chestnut-bellied helmetshrike (''Prionops caniceps'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

in the Vanga

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Vangidae The family Vangidae (from ''vanga'', Malagasy language, Malagasy for the hook-billed vanga, ''Vanga curvirostris'') comprises a group of often shrike-like medium-sized birds distributed from Asia to Africa, including the vangas of Madagascar to ...

, formerly usually included in the Malaconotidae. It is native to the

Guinean Forests of West Africa Forest along the Edéa.html" ;"title="Sanaga River at Edéa">Sanaga River at Edéa, Cameroon The Guinean forests of West Africa is a biodiversity hotspot designated by Conservation International, which includes the belt of Tropical and subtropi ...

. In Central Africa it is replaced by the rufous-bellied helmet-shrike (''P. rufiventris'') ; both are sometimes regarded as two

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of the "chestnut-bellied helmetshrike". Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s are

subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Description TSMF is generally found in large ...

and

subtropical or tropical moist shrubland The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

References

* African Bird Club (2008)
ABC African Checklist: Passerines
' Accessed 20/08/08. red-billed helmetshrike Birds of West Africa red-billed helmetshrike red-billed helmetshrike Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Corvoidea-stub