Red-billed Helmetshrike Prionops caniceps Scientific name definitions

20–22 cm; 42–62 g. Nominate race has crown down to eye level and lores blue-grey, rest of head and neck, including chin and throat, black ; upperparts black, glossed greenish; flight-feathers black, primaries with broad white central bar (conspicuous in flight), uppertail black and glossy; breast and upper belly white, well demarcated from buff lower underparts; underwing-coverts and axillaries dark grey; iris yellow, narrow orange-red orbital ring; bill red; legs orange-red. Sexes similar. Juvenile is browner than adult and more streaked in appearance, lacks blue-grey crown, has dark line through lores, orbital ring inconspicuous, eyes brown, bill blackish (later yellow), legs duller. Race harterti has blue-grey of crown extending below eye on to cheek and upper ear-coverts, and paler buff on belly resulting in less clear differentiation from white chest.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Lowland primary and gallery forest , also mature secondary forest, dense riverine vegetation, forest edge, logged forest and farmland, and old coffee plantations; lowlands, to 700 m in Guinea.

Diet insects, e.g. beetles (Coleoptera), caterpillars, cicadas (Cicadidae), grasshoppers (Orthoptera), praying mantises (Mantidae) and stick-insects (Phasmatodea), as well as spiders (Araneae), fruits and seeds. Food in Ivory Coast 50% adult arthropods, 20% larvae and 30% fruit. Hunts mainly in middle forest layer, 10–20 m up, less frequently in canopy. Apparently more sluggish than woodland members of family. Catches most prey in flight in manner of flycatcher (Muscicapidae); also gleans insects from leaves and twigs, but avoids thicker trunks. Lives and forages in groups of usually 4–8 individuals (up to 20 recorded); group-members remain within 1–4·5 m of one another when foraging. Joins mixed-species foraging parties, especially during non-breeding season, with P. plumatus and other birds, e.g. cuckoo-shrikes (Campephagidae), drongos (Dicrurus) and malimbes (Malimbus), but keeps to rear of party.

Highly vocal. Commonest call (probably contact) of nominate race "wrrraak, wrraak", described as fairly soft and "dry and leathery"; other, more penetrating harsh and grating contact calls rather corvid-like. Song comprises loud whistling, either rising in pitch in middle of song or descending in pitch overall. Duetting recorded. Most characteristic call of race harterti on Mt Kupé (Cameroon) "kui-kui, kui-kui", similar to that of P. rufiventris. Aggressive chattering call directed at monkeys and accompanied by bill-snapping. Wingbeats noisy.