| Nicator | |
|---|---|
 | |
| N. gularis (left) and N. chloris (right) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Nicatoridae |
| Genus: | Nicator Hartlaub & Finsch, 1870 |
| Type species | |
| Lanius chloris [1] Valenciennes, 1826 | |
 | |
| Range of the genus | |
The nicators are a genus, Nicator, and family, Nicatoridae, of songbirds endemic to Africa. The genus and family contain three species. [2]
The systematic affinities of the genus have been a long-standing mystery. The group was originally assigned to the shrikes (Laniidae). In the 1920s James Chapin noted the similarities between the nicators and both the bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) and the bushshrikes (Malaconotidae). It wasn't until 1943 that Jean Théodore Delacour placed the genus with the bulbuls. Storrs Olson argued that the genus was more closely related to the bushshrikes, as the nicators lacked the ossification of the nostril found in all other bulbuls. [3] A number of features, including the position of the facial bristles (which are preorbital rather than rictal), their nests and the calls, make the genus unique, and DNA studies have recently suggested that the genus is best treated as a monogeneric family. [4] Some authorities, like the Clements Checklist, treat the nicators as a new family, Nicatoridae. [5]
The name of the genus is derived from nikator, Greek for conqueror. [6] Within the genus, the western and eastern nicators are considered to form a superspecies and are sometimes treated as the same species. [2]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Nicator chloris | Western nicator | Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. |
 | Nicator gularis | Eastern nicator | Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. |
| Nicator vireo | Yellow-throated nicator | Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Uganda. | |
The nicators are shrike-like birds, 16 to 23 cm (6.3–9.1 in) in length. The eastern and western nicators are similar in size and larger than the yellow-throated nicator. The males are considerably heavier than the females, for example in the western nicator the males range from 48 to 67 g (1.7–2.4 oz), whereas the females only weigh 32 to 51 g (1.1–1.8 oz). The yellow-throated nicator is much lighter, ranging from only 21 to 26 g (0.74–0.92 oz). The nicators have heavy hooked bills. The plumage of the genus is overall olive on the backs, tail and wings, with yellow spotting on the wings, and lighter grey or whitish undersides. [2]
The nicators are endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. The western nicator has a mostly continuous distribution from Senegal to eastern Uganda and northern Angola. The eastern nicator has a discontinuous distribution in East Africa from Somalia south to eastern South Africa. The yellow-throated nicator is distributed in central Africa from Cameroon to Uganda. [2]
The nicators occupy a wide range of forest and woodland habitats. [2]
The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asia to Indonesia, and north as far as Japan. A few insular species occur on the tropical islands of the Indian Ocean. There are 160 species in 32 genera. While different species are found in a wide range of habitats, the African species are predominantly found in rainforest, whereas Asian bulbuls are predominantly found in more open areas.
The bushshrikes are smallish passerine birds. They were formerly classed with the true shrikes in the family Laniidae, but are now considered sufficiently distinctive to be separated from that group as the family Malaconotidae, a name that alludes to their fluffy back and rump feathers.
The white-throated bulbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in south-eastern Asia from the eastern Himalayas to Myanmar and western Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The yellow-bearded greenbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in western Africa.
The yellowish bulbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae.
The streak-breasted bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae.
The black-collared bulbul, or black-collared greenbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is monotypic within the genus Neolestes. For many years, some authorities considered the genus to belong to the bushshrike or shrike families due to shape and plumage similarities until a review of molecular genetic relationships in 1999 confirmed the behavioural and morphological affinities to Pycnonotidae. The black-collared bulbul is found in equatorial Africa in its natural habitat of dry savanna.
The white-throated greenbul, or white-throated bulbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in many parts of central and western Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide by Pamela C. Rasmussen and John C. Anderton is a two-volume ornithological handbook, covering the birds of South Asia, published in 2005 by the Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions. The geographical scope of the book covers India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, the Chagos Archipelago and Afghanistan. In total, 1508 species are covered. Two notable aspects of Birds of South Asia are its distribution evidence-base — the book's authors based their distributional information almost completely on museum specimens — and its taxonomic approach, involving a large number of species-level splits.