Yellow-throated Longclaw
Macronyx croceus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyMotacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
- GenusMacronyx (Longclaws)
- SpeciesMacronyx croceus (Yellow-throated Longclaw)
About the Yellow-throated Longclaw
The yellow-throated longclaw (Macronyx croceus) is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae. Despite sharing no recent common ancestor, the yellow-throated longclaw and its sister species in Macronyx are very similar in both coloration and behavior to the meadowlarks of North America, an example of convergent evolution.
They have yellow underparts and a black "bib" on the upper chest. They may be distinguished from the closely related pangani longclaw by its yellow under tail-coverts, which the pangani lacks. The pangani also has an orange throat, whereas the yellow-throated does not.
Longclaws are generally solitary, except when found as mated pairs. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Yellow-throated Longclaw in Addo Elephant National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Addo Elephant National Park
Orange-throated Longclaw
Macronyx capensis
Cape Wagtail
Motacilla capensis
Grassveld Pipit
Anthus cinnamomeus
Plain-backed Pipit
Anthus leucophrys
African Pied Wagtail
Motacilla aguimp
Mountain Wagtail
Motacilla clara
Nicholson's Pipit
Anthus nicholsoni
Buffy Pipit
Anthus vaalensis
Southern Fiscal
Lanius collaris
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis nitens
Cape Crow
Corvus capensis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.