NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Rufous-bellied Helmetshrike
Prionops rufiventris (Bonaparte, 1853)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The rufous-bellied helmetshrike or Gabon helmetshrike (Prionops rufiventris) is a passerine bird belonging to the Vanga family, Vangidae. It inhabits tropical forest in Central Africa. It is sometimes included within the chestnut-bellied helmetshrike (P. caniceps) of West Africa.
Wikipedia contributors, Rufous-bellied helmetshrike; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:04:15.823358+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Prionops rufiventris (Bonaparte, 1853)
- Name authority
- (Bonaparte, 1853)
- Common name
- Rufous-bellied Helmetshrike
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Vangidae
- Genus
- Prionops
- 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.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyVangidae
- genusPrionops Vieillot, 1816
- speciesPrionops rufiventris (Bonaparte, 1853)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Prionops. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow-crested HelmetshrikePrionops alberti Schouteden, 1933 | VangidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-billed HelmetshrikePrionops caniceps (Bonaparte, 1850) | VangidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-crested HelmetshrikePrionops plumatus (Shaw, 1809) | VangidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gabela HelmetshrikePrionops gabela Rand, 1957 | VangidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Retz's HelmetshrikePrionops retzii Wahlberg, 1856 | VangidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chestnut-fronted HelmetshrikePrionops scopifrons (W. Peters, 1854) | VangidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Sigmodus rufiventris Bonaparte, 1853 Bonaparte, 1853 | synonym |
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.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=562468 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:6VWD5. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.