Ultraconserved elements support the elevation of a new avian family, Eurocephalidae, the white-crowned shrikes

In this study, we infer genus-level relationships within shrikes
(Laniidae), crows (Corvidae), and their allies using ultraconserved
elements (UCEs). We confirm previous results of the Crested Shrikejay
(Platylophus galericulatus) as comprising its own taxonomic family and
find strong support for its sister relationship to laniid shrikes. We also
find strong support that the African-endemic genus Eurocephalus, which
comprises two allopatric species (E. ruppelli and E. anguitimens), are not
shrikes. We propose elevating the white-crowned shrikes to their own
family, Eurocephalidae.