Red-fronted antpecker

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Red-fronted antpecker
Pholidornis rubrifrons Keulemans.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae
Genus: Parmoptila
Species:
P. rubrifrons
Binomial name
Parmoptila rubrifrons
(Sharpe & Ussher, 1872)
Parmoptila rubrifrons.png
Range

The red-fronted antpecker (Parmoptila rubrifrons) is a species of songbird found in Western Africa. Like all antpeckers, it is placed in the estrildid finch family, Estrildidae. Jameson's antpecker (P. jamesoni) has sometimes been considered as a subspecies.

Contents

Taxonomy

The red-fronted antpecker was formally described in 1872 by the English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe and the colonial administrator Herbert Taylor Ussher based on specimens procured in the Fante region of southern Ghana. They coined the binomial name Pholidornis rubrifrons where the specific epithet combines the Latin ruber meaning "red" with frons, frontis meaning "forehead" or "brow". [2] [3] [4] The red-fronted antpecker is now placed with Woodhouse's antpecker and Jameson's antpecker in the genus Parmoptila that was introduced in 1859 by the American ornithologist John Cassin. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. [5]

Distribution and habitat

The red-fronted antpecker inhabits tropical lowland moist forest in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. When Jameson's and the red-fronted antpeckers were still evaluated as one species, they were classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN. [6] However, the red-fronted antpecker is declining noticeably due to habitat destruction and has entirely disappeared from Mali for example. Therefore, its status has been changed to near threatened after the taxonomic split. [7] [8]

References

  1. BirdLife International (2018). "Parmoptila rubrifrons". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T22735256A132185382. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22735256A132185382.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. Sharpe, R. Bowdler; Ussher, Herbert Taylor (1872). "On three new species of bird from the Fantee Country". Ibis. 3rd series. 2: 181–183 [182].
  3. Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1968). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 14. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 108.
  4. Jobling, James A. "rubrifrons". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  5. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (February 2025). "Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits". IOC World Bird List Version 15.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  6. BLI (2004)
  7. "Red-fronted Antpecker". BirdLife International . Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  8. BirdLife International (BLI) (2008b): [2008 IUCN Redlist status changes]. Retrieved 2008-MAY-23.