Gray-chested Babbler

SCI Name:  Kakamega poliothorax
Protonym:  Alethe poliothorax Orn.Monatsb. 8 p.6
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Modulatricidae / Kakamega
Taxonomy Code:  gycill1
Type Locality:  'Bangwa,'' Cameroons [= ''an elevated district at about 5° 15'' N., 10° 25'' E., with peaks rising to 5,000 ft.,'' fide Serle, 1951, in Bannerman, Birds Trop. West Afr., 8, p. 378].
Author:  Reichenow
Publish Year:  1900
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

KAKAMEGA
(Modulatricidae; Ϯ Kakamega K. poliothorax) Kakamega Forest, Nandi, western Kenya. "In netting operations in Kenya and Uganda over a period of 5 years, C. F. M. only found it in Kakamega and South Nandi Forests of western Kenya, at altitudes of 1560-1700 m: its distribution within the area was very patchy. Zimmerman (1972) spent a total of 9 months in the Kakamega Forest and never found it ... Differences between poliothorax and typical members of Trichastoma in plumage and vocalisations are perhaps of no great significance, but they lend weight to our conclusion that poliothorax should be removed from Trichastoma ... Having found no close relative for the species we therefore erect a new genus, which until further evidence is available, we feel should remain within the Timaliinae:  Kakamega, gen. nov.  Type species: Kakamega poliothorax (Reichenow)" (Mann et al. 1978).

poliothorax
Gr. πολιος polios  grey; θωραξ thōrax, θωρακος thōrakos  breast-plate, cuirass.