Vangidae Vangas, Helmetshrikes, and Allies

Following a storyline repeated on many isolated island environments, a passerine immigrant to Madagascar millions of years ago gave rise to descendants with a bewildering array of bill types perfectly suited to the types of vegetation that evolved around them. From sharp pincers to long, decurved forceps, the bills of vangids have captured in this biogeographic microcosm a level of feedingtool diversity displayed by whole communities of songbirds on the mainland. These Malagasy endemics are allied with a diverse group of lightly proportioned, vaguely shrike-like passerines in Africa and Asia, all of which are more closely related to the core vangids than they are to any other passerine group.