White-necked Rockfowl
    Image: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

    White-necked Rockfowl

    Picathartes gymnocephalus

    Birds of Prey
    Vulnerable

    Quick Facts

    Mass0.0152 kg

    Facts sourced from Wikidata (CC0).

    Conservation Status

    Conservation hub
    VU - VulnerableDecreasing population

    Faces a high risk of extinction in the wild.

    The white-necked rockfowl faces threats from habitat loss due to deforestation and hunting. While specific large-scale recovery programs are limited, community-based conservation efforts in some areas aim to protect its forest habitat. Responsible safari tourism can help by raising awareness and providing economic incentives for local communities to preserve the rockfowl's environment.

    The white-necked rockfowl is a medium-sized bird in the family Picathartidae, with a long neck and tail. Also known as the white-necked picathartes, this passerine is mainly found in rocky forested areas at higher altitudes in West Africa from Guinea to Ghana. Its distribution is patchy, with populations often being isolated from each other. The rockfowl typically chooses to live near streams and inselbergs. It has no recognized subspecies, though some believe that it forms a superspecies with the grey-necked rockfowl. The white-necked rockfowl has greyish-black upperparts and white underparts. Its unusually long, dark brown tail is used for balance, and its thighs are muscular. The head is nearly featherless, with the exposed skin being bright yellow except for two large, circular black patches located just behind the eyes. Though the bird is usually silent, some calls are known.

    Description adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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