Red-billed Helmetshrike (Prionops caniceps)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Red-billed Helmetshrike

Prionops caniceps (Bonaparte, 1850)

48 gWeight

The red-billed helmetshrike or chestnut-bellied helmetshrike (Prionops caniceps) is a species of bird in the Vanga family, Vangidae, formerly usually included in the Malaconotidae.

Busiest months: March and November · Most records: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March and November · Most records: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone

Red-billed Helmetshrike has been recorded at 32 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Bobiri Butterfly SanctuaryGhana523 records
  2. Ankasa NPGhana212 records
  3. Atewa Range – upland forest & ridgeGhana93 records
More places
  1. Bonkro VillageGhana63 records
  2. Kwabena Sam ForestGhana51 records
  3. Taï National ParkCôte d’Ivoire47 records
  4. Nsuta ForestGhana45 records
  5. Ankasa NP – entrance vicinityGhana35 records
  6. Ebekawopa (Abrafo) Forest ReserveGhana34 records
  7. Kakum National ParkGhana29 records

Countries and regions with the most records

GhanaCôte d’IvoireSierra LeoneNigeriaLiberiaTogoBeninZimbabwe

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The red-billed helmetshrike or chestnut-bellied helmetshrike (Prionops caniceps) is a species of bird in the Vanga family, Vangidae, formerly usually included in the Malaconotidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Red-billed Helmetshrike?

The Red-billed Helmetshrike weighs around 48 g.

Where does the Red-billed Helmetshrike live?

Its breeding range: Africa: western. It is most often recorded in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone.

When is the best time to see the Red-billed Helmetshrike?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March and November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Red-billed Helmetshrike endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-billed Helmetshrike as Near Threatened.

What does the Red-billed Helmetshrike eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Red-billed Helmetshrike in?

It belongs to the family Vangas & Allies (Vangidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
48 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Near Threatened
More measurements
Wing
116 mm
Tail
79 mm
Bill
26 mm
Tarsus
20 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: western

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Vangas & Allies Vangidae
Genus
Prionops

Other birds in the genus Prionops

White-crested HelmetshrikeWhite-crested HelmetshrikePrionops plumatusGrey-crested HelmetshrikeGrey-crested HelmetshrikePrionops poliolophusYellow-crested HelmetshrikeYellow-crested HelmetshrikePrionops albertiRufous-bellied HelmetshrikeRufous-bellied HelmetshrikePrionops rufiventrisRetz's HelmetshrikeRetz's HelmetshrikePrionops retziiGabela HelmetshrikeGabela HelmetshrikePrionops gabelaChestnut-fronted HelmetshrikeChestnut-fronted HelmetshrikePrionops scopifronsRed-tailed VangaRed-tailed VangaCalicalicus madagascariensisRed-shouldered VangaRed-shouldered VangaCalicalicus rufocarpalisHook-billed VangaHook-billed VangaVanga curvirostris
Red-billed Helmetshrike

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Nik Borrow. ↗

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