Onychognathus


Onychognathus is a genus of starlings native to the Afrotropical realm. All the species are quite similar, and characterised by rufous primary wing feathers, very obvious in flight. The males are typically mainly glossy black, and the females have dull grey heads.

Taxonomy

The genus was introduced by the German physician and ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub in 1849 to accommodate a single species, Onychognathus fulgidus Hartlaub, the chestnut-winged starling, which becomes the type species. The name Onychognathus combines the Ancient Greek words onukhos "claw" or "nail" and gnathos "jaw".
The genus contains 11 species.