Lafresnaye's Vanga

Open encyclopedia reference

Lafresnaye's vanga (Xenopirostris xenopirostris) is a species of bird in the vanga family Vangidae. The species is monotypic and one of three species in the genus Xenopirostris. It is endemic to the south and south west of Madagascar. It inhabits sub-arid thorn scrub, in the Madagascar spiny forests ecoregion, particularly areas with large amounts of dead wood, from sea level to 100 m (330 ft). The species has a small range is not common within that range. It was uplisted from Least Concern to Near Threatened in 2022 as it is experiencing moderately rapid population decline owing to habitat degradation and loss within its range. The common name for the species is derived from the French ornithologist who described it, Frédéric de Lafresnaye. The specific name notes the resemblance of the bill (rostris) to the genus Xenops. Lafresnaye's vanga is a medium-sized vanga, 24 cm (9.4 in) in length and weighing 52 to 63 g (1.8–2.2 oz). The plumage is almost the same between males and females.

Wikipedia contributors, Lafresnaye's vanga; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:14:11.868686+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Xenopirostris xenopirostris (Lafresnaye, 1850)

Name authority

(Lafresnaye, 1850)

Common name

Lafresnaye's Vanga

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Vangidae

Genus

Xenopirostris

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classAves
9. orderPasseriformes
10. familyVangidae
11. genusXenopirostris Bonaparte, 1850
12. speciesXenopirostris xenopirostris (Lafresnaye, 1850)

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Xenopirostris. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 34 records assigned to Vangidae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=563717 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:5CB5L. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.