Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Subsectio: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Infraclassis: Aves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Passeri
Parvordo: Corvida
Superfamilia: Corvoidea
Familia: Prionopidae
Genus: Prionops
Species: P. alberti - P. caniceps - P. gabela - P. plumatus - P. poliolophus - P. retzii - P. rufiventris - P. scopifrons
Name
Prionops Vieillot, 1816
References
Analyse D'Une Nouvelle Ornithologie Élémentaire p. 41
Vernacular names
English: typical helmetshrikes
Helmetshrikes are a family uniting some smallish to mid-sized songbird species. They were included with the true shrikes in the family Laniidae, later on split between several presumably closely related groups such as bushshrikes (Malaconotidae) and cuckooshrikes (Campephagidae), but are now considered sufficiently distinctive to be separated from that group into the family Vangidae.
Description and ecology
This is an African group of species which are found in scrub or open woodland. They are similar in feeding habits to shrikes, hunting insects and other small prey from a perch on a bush or tree.
Although similar in build to the shrikes, these tend to be colourful species with the distinctive crests or other head ornaments, such as wattles, from which they get their name.
Helmetshrikes are noisy and sociable birds, some of which breed in loose colonies. They lay 2–4 eggs in neat, well-hidden nests.
Systematics
As the relationships of the shrike-like birds are increasingly disentangled, the helmetshrikes appear to form an evolutionary radiation with the Vangidae.
Genus Prionops – typical helmetshrikes
White-crested helmetshrike, Prionops plumatus
Grey-crested helmetshrike, Prionops poliolophus
Yellow-crested helmetshrike, Prionops alberti
Red-billed helmetshrike, Prionops caniceps
Rufous-bellied helmetshrike, Prionops rufiventris
Retz's helmetshrike, Prionops retzii
Gabela helmetshrike, Prionops gabela
Chestnut-fronted helmetshrike, Prionops scopifrons
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