Sharpe's longclaw (''Macronyx sharpei'') is a

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by th ...

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 lightweig ...

in the longclaw family

Motacillidae The wagtails, longclaws, and pipits are a family, Motacillidae, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Around 70 species occur in five genera. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predomin ...

, which also includes the

pipit The pipits are a cosmopolitan genus, ''Anthus'', of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtails and longclaws, the pipits make up the family Motacillidae. The genus is widespread, occurring across most of the world, ...

s and

wagtail Wagtails are a group of passerine birds that form the genus ''Motacilla'' in the family Motacillidae. The forest wagtail belongs to the monotypic genus ''Dendronanthus'' which is closely related to ''Motacilla'' and sometimes included therein. ...

s. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

. It is 16–17 cm long, with upperparts heavily marked with buff and rufous streaks, yellow underparts, and white outertail feathers in flight. This bird is endangered, with an estimated population of less than 20,000. Its grassland habitat is being replaced by cultivation and woodlots. The common name and Latin binomial name commemorate the British zoologist

Richard Bowdler Sharpe Richard Bowdler Sharpe (22 November 1847 – 25 December 1909) was an English zoologist and ornithologist who worked as curator of the bird collection at the British Museum of natural history. In the course of his career he published several mo ...

Taxonomy

Sharpe's longclaw was described by the English ornithologist

Frederick John Jackson Sir Frederick John Jackson, (17 February 1860 – 3 February 1929) was an English administrator, explorer and ornithologist. Early years Jackson was born at Oran Hall, near Catterick, North Yorkshire in 1860. He attended Shrewsbury School ...

in 1904 from specimens collected in the Mau Plateau area of Kenya. He coined the binomial name ''Macronyx sharpei''. Both the common name and the specific epithet honour the English ornithologist and museum curator

. The Sharpe's longclaw is a member of the family

, which includes the pipits and wagtails. Some ornithologists place the species with the

yellow-breasted pipit The yellow-breasted pipit (''Anthus chloris'') is a species of bird in the pipit and wagtail family Motacillidae. It is found in Lesotho and South Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, arable land, and ...

in the separate genus '' Hemimacronyx''. The two species are closely related and form a superspecies. This genus, along with the golden pipit in the genus ''Tmetothylacus'' and the longclaws form an exclusively African clade within the family, separate from the true pipits in the genus ''

Anthus The pipits are a cosmopolitan genus, ''Anthus'', of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Along with the wagtails and longclaws, the pipits make up the family Motacillidae. The genus is widespread, occurring across most of the wo ...

'' and the wagtails.

Distribution and habitat

The Sharpe's longclaw is found in the highlands of west and central

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

. It has a restricted distribution, occurring on the northern slopes of Mount Kenya, the southern slopes of the Aberdares, on the Gishu, Mau and Kinangop Plateaus around the Rift Valley, and the Kenyan slopes of Mount Elgon (possibly the Ugandan slopes as well). The natural habitat of the species is open treeless grassland with short and often tussocky grasses. It ranges between in altitude, although more commonly below . It occurs at higher altitudes than the yellow-throated longclaw, with little overlap between the ranges of the two species. It is generally non- migratory, but will travel short distances when its habitat becomes too dry.

Behaviour

Diet and feeding

The Sharpe's longclaw feeds on insects, particularly grasshoppers and beetles. Other invertebrates are taken as well. Within its range it has a higher feeding rate in grasslands with tussocks. The species forages alone or in pairs, sometimes in small family groups.

Breeding

The Sharpe's longclaw is a monogamous and solitary breeder that defends a territory. The breeding season is during or after the rains, from March to June, September to October and in December. The species has a brief aerial breeding display, where the bird flies up and then drops, singing rapidly as it drops. The nest is a well-made cup of dried grass lined with roots and placed near the ground at the base of a grass tussock or under a shrub or plant. Between two and three eggs are laid.

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q21964223, from2=Q390081 Sharpe's longclaw Endemic birds of Kenya Sharpe's longclaw