Mlali (ndege)

Mlali au sekini ni ndege wa jenasi Prionops, jenasi pekee ya familia Prionopidae. Wanatoka Afrika kusini kwa Sahara tu. Spishi za Asia ambazo ziliainishwa katika familia hii, zimehamishwa ndani ya familia Tephrodornithidae. Mlali ni weusi na weupe, weusi na rangi ya kijivu au weusi, weupe na rangi ya kijivu pengine pamoja na rangi ya kahawia nyekundu kwa tumbo. Domo lao lina ncha kwa kulabu na rangi ya nyeusi au nyekundu; miguu ni myekundu mara nyingi. Ndege hawa wana ngozi yenye rangi kali (nyekundu au pinki) kuzunguka macho na ushungi kwa umbo wa helmeti wenye rangi ya nyeupe, kijivu, nyeusi au manjano. Hula wadudu na vertebrata wadogo. Hulijenga tago lao kwa vipande vya gome na tandabui mtini au kichakani na jike hutaga mayai 2-5.

Mlali
Mlali ushungi-mweupe
Uainishaji wa kisayansi
Himaya: Animalia (Wanyama) Faila: Chordata (Wanyama wenye ugwe wa neva mgongoni) Nusufaila: Vertebrata (Wanyama wenye uti wa mgongo) Ngeli: Aves (Ndege) Oda: Passeriformes (Ndege kama shomoro) Familia ya juu: Corvoidea (Ndege kama kunguru) Familia: Prionopidae (Ndege walio na mnasaba na mlali) Jenasi: Prionops Vieillot, 1816
Ngazi za chini
Spishi 8: P. alberti Schouteden, 1933 P. caniceps (Bonaparte, 1850) P. gabela Rand, 1957 P. plumatus (Shaw, 1809) P. poliolophus Fischer & Reichenow, 1884 P. retzii Wahlberg, 1856 P. rufiventris (Bonaparte, 1853) P. scopifrons (Peters, 1854)

Spishi

• Prionops alberti, Mlali Ushungi-njano (Yellow-crested Helmet-shrike)
• Prionops caniceps, Mlali Domo-jekundu (Red-billed Helmet-shrike)
• Prionops gabela, Mlali wa Angola (Gabela Helmet-shrike)
• Prionops plumatus, Mlali Ushungi-mweupe (White-crested Helmet-shrike)
• Prionops poliolophus, Mlali Ushungi-kijivu (Grey-crested Helmet-shrike)
• Prionops retzii, Mlali wa Retz (Retz's Helmet-shrike)
• Prionops rufiventris, Mlali Tumbo-jekundu (Rufous-bellied Helmet-shrike)
• Prionops scopifrons, Mlali Paji-jekundu (Chestnut-fronted Helmet-shrike)

Picha

• 
  Mlali domo-jekundu
• 
  Mlali ushungi-kijivu
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  Mlali wa Retz
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  Mlali paji-jekundu