Modulatricidae

Modulatricidae
Dapple-throat (Arcanator orostruthus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Parvorder: Passerida
Family: Modulatricidae
Fjeldsa et al., 2015
Synonyms

Arcanatoridae

Modulatricidae is a small family of passerine birds which are restricted to Africa. The family is made up of three species in three separate genera, Modulatrix, Arcanator and Kakamega, of brown thrush-like birds. These species have been taxonomic enigmas in the past, having been placed in a number of families including the Old World flycatchers (Muscicapidae), thrushes (Turdidae), and the Old World babblers (Timaliidae sensu lato). They are now known to form a clade sister either to the sugarbirds or to the majority of Passeroidea.

The Modulatricidae have a disjunct distribution in Africa, living in the dense undergrowth of montane forests, principally in East Africa but with a population of the grey-chested babbler in Cameroon and Nigeria. They are poorly studied little is known about their ecology and behaviour. They live on or near the forest floor, and feed on insects and berries, with insects sought by either probing leaf litter or tossing it aside. Two species, the spot-throat and grey-chested babbler, have been observed following swarms of driver ants.

Species

Species

Genus Modulatrix – Ripley, 1952 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Spot-throat

 Modulatrix stictigula
(Reichenow, 1906)		 Eastern Arc forests of eastern Africa Size:

Habitat:

Diet:		  LC 
Genus Arcanator – Irwin & Clancey, 1986 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Dapple-throat or dappled mountain robin or dappled mountain greenbul

 Arcanator orostruthus
(Vincent, 1933)		 Disjunct distribution, occurring in several mountain ranges, including the Usambara and Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania and the Njesi Highlands and Mount Mabu in northern Mozambique Size:

Habitat: Dense, wet mountain forest habitat. It can be found in the leaf litter near streams.

Diet: Insects		  NT 
Genus Kakamega – Mann, Burton, PJK & Lennerstedt, 1978 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Grey-chested babbler

 Kakamega poliothorax
(Reichenow, 1900)		 Cameroon line, western Kenya and the Albertine rift montane forests Size:

Habitat: Subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Diet:		  LC 

References

  1. ↑ "Arcanatoridae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  2. ↑ Beresford, P.; Barker, F. K.; Ryan, P. G.; Crowe, T. M. (2005-04-22). "African endemics span the tree of songbirds (Passeri): molecular systematics of several evolutionary 'enigmas'". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences. 272 (1565): 849–858. doi:10.1098/rspb.2004.2997. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 1599865. PMID 15888418.
  3. ↑ Johansson, Ulf S.; Fjeldså, Jon; Bowie, Rauri C. K. (2008-09-01). "Phylogenetic relationships within Passerida (Aves: Passeriformes): A review and a new molecular phylogeny based on three nuclear intron markers". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 48 (3): 858–876. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.05.029. PMID 18619860.
  4. ↑ Winkler, David W.; Billerman, Shawn M.; Lovette, Irby J. (2015). "Modulatricidae (Spot-throat and Allies)". Bird families of the world: an invitation to the spectacular diversity of birds. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. pp. 498–499. ISBN 9788494189203.
  5. ↑ Winkler, David W.; Billerman, Shawn M.; Lovette, Irby J. (2021). "Dapple-throat and Allies (Modulatricidae)". Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.modula1.02. Retrieved 26 June 2026.