Yellow-crested helmetshrike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow-crested helmetshrike |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Prionops
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| Species: |
alberti
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The yellow-crested helmetshrike (Prionops alberti) is a special kind of bird. It is also called the King Albert's helmetshrike. This bird is part of the Vanga family called Vangidae. It is a large and eye-catching bird, known for its black feathers and bright yellow crest on its head. Even though people have seen this bird in the mountains of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, there is still a lot to learn about it. It is rarely seen because it lives in remote areas within the Albertine Rift, a place where there has been armed conflict.
Contents
About the Yellow-crested Helmetshrike
What it Looks Like
Adult yellow-crested helmetshrikes are mostly black. They have a bright yellow or gold crest, which looks like a "helmet" on their head. This yellow color covers the whole top part of their head, going back behind their eyes. Their eyes are greenish-yellow and have an orange ring around them. The bird's beak is black, just like its feathers. Its legs and feet are said to be light red.
The color of the crest can be a bit different from one bird to another. It might be grayish-white, pale yellow, or bright gold. This difference could be because each bird is unique, or it might change as the feathers get older. Some birds also have a bit of gray or white in their wing feathers, but others are completely black.
Young yellow-crested helmetshrikes have whitish crowns that might look a bit dirty or slightly yellow. Their beaks are likely light red, not black, when they are young. Both male and female birds look the same.
What it Sounds Like
People have described the yellow-crested helmetshrike's call as a two-part sound, like "tlu-uk" or "clu-uk." It repeats this sound up to six times. These birds also react strongly when they hear alarm calls from other birds.
Bird Family and Name
The yellow-crested helmetshrike belongs to the Vangidae family. This bird, along with others in the Prionops group, used to be thought of as part of the Malaconotidae family. We don't know much about this species, and its exact place within the Prionops group is still a bit of a mystery. It is a "monotypic species," which means it's the only species in its group. Its scientific name, alberti, comes from King Albert I of Belgium. This is because the first bird of this kind was found in what was then called the Belgian Congo.
Where it Lives and its Home
Where it Lives
This bird is found only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All confirmed sightings have been from the Lendu Plateau in the north, near Lake Mwitanzige (also known as Lake Albert), down to Mount Kabobo in the south. People have thought it might live outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo too. For example, one bird was found near Mount Mikeno, close to the border with Uganda. A group of these birds was also seen near Mount Nyiragongo. There's also a possible sighting from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda.
Its Home
The yellow-crested helmetshrike naturally lives in moist montane forests in the Albertine Rift. These forests are usually found at heights between 1,120 and 2,500 meters (about 3,675 to 8,200 feet) above sea level. Birds have been seen looking for food in Hagenia trees on Mount Kahuzi. However, one bird was found dead on the very top of Mount Mikeno, at 4,400 meters (about 14,435 feet). This is much higher than where they usually live and is one of the most remote places this bird has been found. This makes some people wonder if that bird just wandered far from its usual home. It is also thought that this species might move to different heights depending on the season.
Behavior and Life Cycle
What it Eats and How it Acts
The yellow-crested helmetshrike eats insects. It actively searches and hunts for arthropods (like insects and spiders) in the forest treetops. They usually do this in fast-moving groups of up to 14 to 20 birds, much like other Prionops birds. As far as we know, this bird does not migrate (travel long distances). However, it might move to different elevations depending on the season.
Reproduction
We do not have a description of the yellow-crested helmetshrike's nest.
One expert, Chapin, thought that this species might not have a short, specific breeding season in the northern parts of where it lives. Young birds have been seen in Lutunguru, North Kivu, between mid-August and October. This led another expert, Alexandre Prigogine, to guess that the eggs are laid sometime in June or July.
Looking After the Species
The yellow-crested helmetshrike is at risk because its forest home is being destroyed.
As of 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers this species "vulnerable." This means it could become endangered if its problems are not fixed.
The yellow-crested helmetshrike was once thought to be a "lost species" because it hadn't been seen for a long time. But in December 2023, a team of scientists led by Michael Harvey rediscovered it! They found 18 of these hard-to-find birds in three different places in the Itombwe Mountains. This suggests that there might be a healthy number of them still living in the wild.
