Sharpe's Longclaw
Encyclopedia
The Sharpe's Longclaw, Hemimacronyx sharpei, is a passerine
bird
in the longclaw
family Motacillidae
, which also includes the pipit
s and wagtail
s. It is endemic
to Kenya
.
It is 16–17 cm long, with upperparts heavily marked with buff and rufous streaks, yellow underparts, and white outertail feathers in flight.
This bird is endangered, with an estimated population of less than 20,000. Its grassland habitat is being replaced by cultivation and woodlots.
, a treatment still followed by some taxonomists. Most now place the species with the Yellow-breasted Pipit
in the separate genus Hemimacronyx
. The two species are closely related and form a superspecies. This genus, along with the Golden Pipit
in the genus Tmetothylacus and the longclaws form a exclusively African clade within the family, separate from the true pipits in the genus Anthus
and the wagtails.
. It has a restricted distribution, occurring on the northern slopes of Mount Kenya
, the southern slopes of the Aberdares, on the Gishu, Mau and Kinangop Plateaus around the Rift Valley, and the Kenyan slopes of Mount Elgon
(possibly the Ugandan slopes as well).
The natural habitat of the species is open treeless grassland with short and often tussocky grasses. It ranges between 1850 to 3400 m (6,069.6 to 11,154.9 ft) in altitude, although more commonly below 2800 m (9,186.4 ft). It occurs at higher altitudes than the Yellow-throated Longclaw
, with little overlap between the ranges of the two species. It is generally non-migratory
, but will travel short distances when its habitat becomes too dry.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the longclaw
Longclaw
The longclaws are a genus of small African passerine birds with long tails, which they wag frequently. They are in the same family as the pipits and wagtails.Longclaws are slender, often colorful, ground-feeding insectivores of open country...
family Motacillidae
Motacillidae
The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. There are around 65 species in 6 genera and they include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominately found in Europe, Africa and...
, which also includes the pipit
Pipit
The pipits are a cosmopolitan genus, Anthus, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtails and longclaws, the pipits make up the family Motacillidae...
s and wagtail
Wagtail
The wagtails form the passerine bird genus Motacilla. They are small birds with long tails which they wag frequently. Motacilla, the root of the family and genus name, means moving tail...
s. It is endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
It is 16–17 cm long, with upperparts heavily marked with buff and rufous streaks, yellow underparts, and white outertail feathers in flight.
This bird is endangered, with an estimated population of less than 20,000. Its grassland habitat is being replaced by cultivation and woodlots.
Taxonomy
The Sharpe's Longclaw is a member of the family Motacillidae, which includes the pipits and wagtails. The species was originally placed with the other longclaws in the genus MacronyxLongclaw
The longclaws are a genus of small African passerine birds with long tails, which they wag frequently. They are in the same family as the pipits and wagtails.Longclaws are slender, often colorful, ground-feeding insectivores of open country...
, a treatment still followed by some taxonomists. Most now place the species with the Yellow-breasted Pipit
Yellow-breasted Pipit
The Yellow-breasted Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Lesotho and South Africa.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, arable land, and pastureland....
in the separate genus Hemimacronyx
Hemimacronyx
Hemimacronyx is a proposed genus of birds in the pipit and wagtail family Motacillidae. It contains two species that are usually treated as bellowing to two larger genera, Macronyx and Anthus...
. The two species are closely related and form a superspecies. This genus, along with the Golden Pipit
Golden Pipit
The Golden Pipit is a distinctive pipit of dry country grassland, savanna and shrubland in eastern Africa. It is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, and has occurred as a vagrant to Oman, South Africa and Zimbabwe.The adult male, unlike most pipits, is very easy to...
in the genus Tmetothylacus and the longclaws form a exclusively African clade within the family, separate from the true pipits in the genus Anthus
Pipit
The pipits are a cosmopolitan genus, Anthus, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtails and longclaws, the pipits make up the family Motacillidae...
and the wagtails.
Distribution and habitat
The Sharpe's Longclaw is found in the highlands of west and central KenyaKenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. It has a restricted distribution, occurring on the northern slopes of Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian , Nelion and Point Lenana . Mount Kenya is located in central Kenya, just south of the equator, around north-northeast of the capital Nairobi...
, the southern slopes of the Aberdares, on the Gishu, Mau and Kinangop Plateaus around the Rift Valley, and the Kenyan slopes of Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale.- Physical features :It is the oldest and largest solitary volcano in East Africa, covering an area of around 3500 km²....
(possibly the Ugandan slopes as well).
The natural habitat of the species is open treeless grassland with short and often tussocky grasses. It ranges between 1850 to 3400 m (6,069.6 to 11,154.9 ft) in altitude, although more commonly below 2800 m (9,186.4 ft). It occurs at higher altitudes than the Yellow-throated Longclaw
Yellow-throated Longclaw
The Yellow-throated Longclaw is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,...
, with little overlap between the ranges of the two species. It is generally non-migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, but will travel short distances when its habitat becomes too dry.