Akalat

Akalats
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Sheppardia
Haagner, 1909
Type species
Sheppardia gunningi
Haagner, 1909
Species

See text.

The akalats (stressed on the second syllable) are medium-sized insectivorous birds in the genus Sheppardia. They were formerly placed in the thrush family, Turdidae, but are more often now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae.

The genus contains 11 Sub-Saharan forest-dwelling species:

ImageCommon NameScientific NameDistribution
-Usambara akalatSheppardia montanaUsambara Mountains
-Iringa akalatSheppardia loweiEastern Arc forests
-Rubeho akalatSheppardia aurantiithoraxRubeho Mountains
-East coast akalatSheppardia gunningiNguu Mountains and eastern Afromontane
-Sharpe's akalatSheppardia sharpeiEastern Arc forests and northern Malawi
-Bocage's akalatSheppardia bocageimiombo region
-Short-tailed akalatSheppardia poensisWestern High Plateau and Albertine Rift montane forests
-Lowland akalatSheppardia cyornithopsisAfrican tropical rainforest
Equatorial akalatSheppardia aequatorialiseastern Afromontane
Gabela akalatSheppardia gabelawestern Angola
Grey-winged robin-chatSheppardia poliopteraSub-Saharan Africa (rare in eastern and southern Africa)