Antpecker

The antpeckers are a genus Parmoptila of small seed-eating birds in the family Estrildidae. They range across the tropical forests of western and central Africa.

Antpeckers
Female Jameson's antpecker (Parmoptila jamesoni)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Estrildidae
Genus:	Parmoptila Cassin, 1859
Type species
Parmoptila woodhousei[1] Cassin, 1859
Species
Parmoptila jamesoni Parmoptila rubrifrons Parmoptila woodhousei

Taxonomy

The genus Parmoptila was introduced in 1859 by the American ornithologist John Cassin to accommodate Woodhouse's antpecker.^[2] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek parmē, the word for a small round shield, and ptilon meaning "feather".^[3]

Species

The genus contains three species:^[4]

Image	Common Name	Scientific Name	Distribution
	Red-fronted antpecker	Parmoptila rubrifrons	Upper Guinean forests
	Jameson's antpecker	Parmoptila jamesoni	Congolian rainforest
	Woodhouse's antpecker	Parmoptila woodhousei	Congolian rainforest