Saw-wing

The saw-wings, Psalidoprocne, is a small genus of passerine birds in the swallow family. The common name of this group is derived from the rough outer edge of the outer primary feather on the wing, which is rough due to recurved barbs. The function of this is unknown.[1] The birds are 11–17 cm long and black or black-and-white in colour.[2] The genus has an African distribution and all species can be found foraging over forest and woodland.[2] The last part of their scientific name comes from the eldest daughter of King Pandion of Athens, Procne, who was turned into a swallow after tricking her abusive husband.

Saw-wings
Black saw-wing (Psalidoprocne pristoptera)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Hirundinidae
Subfamily: Hirundininae
Genus: Psalidoprocne
Cabanis, 1850
Species

5, See list

Species list

There are at least five species of saw-wing. The black saw-wing has a large number of subspecies and many of these are sometimes considered to be separate species.[3] The species, in taxonomic order, are:

ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
Psalidoprocne nitensSquare-tailed saw-wingAngola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
Psalidoprocne fuliginosaMountain saw-wingBioko island and adjacent Mt. Cameroon.
Psalidoprocne albicepsWhite-headed saw-wingAngola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Psalidoprocne pristopteraBlack saw-wingacross Africa from eastern Nigeria and Ethiopia south to Angola, northern Zimbabwe and northern Mozambique
Psalidoprocne obscuraFanti saw-wingsouthern west Africa from Senegal to Cameroon

References
  1. Perrins, Christopher (2004). The New Encyclopedia of Birds. London: Oxford University Press.
  2. Sinclair, Ian & Peter Ryan (2003). Birds of Africa south of the Sahara. Cape Town: Struik.
  3. Internet Bird Collection. "Black Saw-wing (Psalidoprocne pristoptera)". Retrieved 13 January 2010.
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