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: Eusaurischia
Cladus: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Euornithes
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Ornithurae
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Ordo: Bucerotiformes
Familia: Phoeniculidae
Genus: Rhinopomastus
Species: R. aterrimus - R. cyanomelas - R. minor
Name
Rhinopomastus Jardine, 1828
References
Jardine, 1828. (The) Zoological Journal. 4 p.1,2 pl.1
Vernacular names
English: Scimitarbills
Scimitarbills (also spelt scimitar-bills) are three species of African bird belonging to the genus Rhinopomastus. They are often classified in the woodhoopoe family, Phoeniculidae; however, genetic studies show that they diverged from the true woodhoopoes about 10 million years ago and so they are sometimes placed in a family of their own, the Rhinopomastidae.
They are smaller than most woodhoopoes and their bills are strongly curved like a scimitar, giving them their name. They are mostly glossy black in colour with a few white markings on the wings. While other woodhoopoes are gregarious birds which gather in flocks, the scimitarbills are usually seen alone or in pairs.
They feed mainly on insects and other invertebrates, which they find by using their bills to probe into holes and crevices. They are acrobatic birds, well-adapted for clambering through trees. The eggs are laid in a tree cavity.
Species
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Description | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Rhinopomastus aterrimus | Black scimitarbill | less markedly curved bill than the others | Two populations, one extending from West Africa eastwards to Ethiopia and the other in Angola and adjacent countries. |
 |
Rhinopomastus cyanomelas | Common scimitarbill | the largest and longest-tailed species and the only one with white markings on the tail. | Southern and Eastern Africa |
 |
Rhinopomastus minor | Abyssinian scimitarbill | smaller than the others with a red bill rather than a black one. | arid scrub from Tanzania north to Somalia. |
References
Christopher Perrins, ed. (2004) The New Encyclopedia of Birds, Oxford University Press, Oxford
Ian Sinclair & Peter Ryan (2003) Birds of Africa south of the Sahara, Struik, Cape Town
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