Salpornis Salvadori Wytsman on:
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'' Salpornis '' is a 
The tail has twelve feathers and is rounded at the tips. The nostril is exposed and there are no rictal bristles. The tongue ends in five bristles.
The genus has two species with the African species earlier considered as a subspecies. Differences in size, calls and
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
which is usually included in the family Certhiidae
The treecreepers are a family, Certhiidae, of small passerine birds, widespread in wooded regions of the Northern Hemisphere and sub-Saharan Africa. The family contains eleven species in two genera, ''Certhia'' and ''Salpornis''. Their plumage is ...
. The genus has in the past been included with the nuthatches
The nuthatches () constitute a genus, ''Sitta'', of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs. Mo ...
in the family Sittidae
The nuthatches () constitute a genus, ''Sitta'', of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs. Mo ...
or placed in a family of its own, the Salpornithidae. Molecular phylogenetic
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
analyses show them to be definitely within the Certhioidea but still leaves some uncertainty about their placement in relation to the genera ''Sitta
The nuthatches () constitute a genus, ''Sitta'', of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs. Mo ...
'', ''Tichodroma
''Tichodroma'' is the only known genus in the family Tichodromidae. Initially, Linnaeus placed ''Tichodroma'' in the family Certhiidae, along with the treecreepers., while other athourities have placed it the nuthatch family Sittidae, as its own ...
'' and ''Certhia
'' Certhia '' is the genus of birds containing the typical treecreepers, which together with the African and Indian spotted creepers make up the family Certhiidae.
The typical treecreepers occur in many wooded parts of the North Temperate Zone. ...
''. While they appear similar to the treecreepers (''Certhia''), they do not use their tails to support them while climbing and some molecular evidence shows them to be closer to the nuthatches (''Sitta'') while another study suggests a closer relation to the wallcreeper ''Tichodroma muraria
The wallcreeper (''Tichodroma muraria'') is a small passerine bird found throughout the high mountains of the Palearctic from southern Europe to central China. It is the only extant member of both the genus ''Tichodroma'' and the family Tichodr ...
''. The generic name is derived from the Greek ''salpinktes'' for wren and ''ornis'' for bird.
The tail has twelve feathers and is rounded at the tips. The nostril is exposed and there are no rictal bristles. The tongue ends in five bristles.
The genus has two species with the African species earlier considered as a subspecies. Differences in size, calls and mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial D ...
sequences have supported the splitting of the African and Indian populations.
* Indian spotted creeper
The Indian spotted creeper (''Salpornis spilonota'') is a small passerine bird, which is a member of the subfamily Salpornithinae which is placed along with the treecreepers in the family Certhiidae. This small bird has a marbled black and white ...
(''Salpornis spilonota'')
* African spotted creeper
The African spotted creeper (''Salpornis salvadori'') is a small passerine bird, which is a member of the subfamily Salpornithinae of the treecreeper family Certhiidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa in open deciduous forest and mango groves ...
(''Salpornis salvadori'') with four subspecies.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10812337 Taxa named by George Robert Gray