Bird Guide

White-necked Rockfowl

Picathartes gymnocephalus

VulnerableInvertebratesForestCup nestMedium · 196 g

About the White-necked Rockfowl

The white-necked rockfowl is a medium-sized bird in the family Picathartidae, with a long neck and tail. Also known as the white-necked picathartes, this passerine is mainly found in rocky forested areas at higher altitudes in West Africa from Guinea to Ghana. Its distribution is patchy, with populations often being isolated from each other. The rockfowl typically chooses to live near streams and inselbergs. It has no recognized subspecies, though some believe that it forms a superspecies with the grey-necked rockfowl. The white-necked rockfowl has greyish-black upperparts and white underparts. Its unusually long, dark brown tail is used for balance, and its thighs are muscular. The head is…

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

This rockfowl measures around 38 to 41 cm (15 to 16 in) in length, with its notably long tail contributing about 18 cm (7.1 in). Adult rockfowl show little sexual dimorphism in plumage and the sexes cannot be told apart by appearance. On the adult, the head, excluding the chin and throat, is completely bare of feathers except for a thin layer of fuzz on the forehead. The head's skin is bright yellow except for two large, circular patches of black skin located just behind the eye and containing the ear; only a thin, 2 mm (0.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where the White-necked Rockfowl lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in Liberia.

When to see the White-necked Rockfowl

Peak activity in November · a winter visitor species across most of its range

Easily confused with

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