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White-throated jungle flycatcher

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White-throated jungle flycatcher
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Vauriella
Species:
V. albigularis
Binomial name
Vauriella albigularis
(Bourns & Worcester, 1894)
Synonyms

Rhinomyias albigularis

The white-throated jungle flycatcher (Vauriella albigularis), also known as the Negros jungle flycatcher is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Philippines (Negros and Panay islands) and formerly on Guimaras before its extirpation there. The natural habitats of the white-throated jungle flycatcher are tropical moist lowland forests and tropical moist montane forests at altitudes of up to 1,350 meters.[2] It is threatened by habitat loss.

Description and taxonomy

A skin from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center

EBird describes the bird as "A fairly small bird. Rufous-brown on the wings, back, and tail, with a gray head, heavily-streaked pale underparts, and a black face and moustache stripe. Often found in mixed-species flocks. Somewhat similar to Stripe-headed rhabdornis and Grand rhabdornis, but smaller, with a white eye-ring rather than a black band through the eye. Voice includes a loud rattling trill and various quiet chips and squeals."[3]

This species was previously placed in the genus Rhinomyias but was moved to Vauriella along with the White-browed jungle flycatcher of Luzon, the Slaty-backed jungle flycatcher of Mindanao and the Eyebrowed jungle flycatcher of Borneo after a detailed molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010 found that Rhinomyias was polyphyletic.[4][5]

Ecology and behavior

Not much information of its diet in the wild but includes small invertebrates. Forages silently close to the forest floor, typically along forest edge.

Breeding season is not fully known but nest seen in March and a fledgling has been seen in April. Nest is cup shaped and made of moss, fibers and roots. Nests in tree cavities and even on the sides of limestone streams.[6]

Habitat and conservation status

It is found in tropical moist lowland forests and the lower reaches of tropical moist montane forests typically below 1,000 meters above sea level, but has been recorded at up to 1,350 meters. It prefers primary forest but it has also been recorded in secondary forest and forest edge. It forages in the understorey and lower canopy usually below 10 meters above the ground.[2]

The IUCN Red List assessed this bird as endangered with population estimated as 2,500 to 10,000 mature individuals. It is mainly threatened by habitat loss. Negros is one of the most deforested islands in the country, owing to illegal logging and conversion of forests into sugarcane plantations. An estimated 4% of Negros and 8% of Panay remained forested in 1988, most of it above 1,000 m.

Conservation actions proposed include

  • more surveys, especially on Panay, in order to fully understand the range and population of this bird
  • stronger protection of remaining forest areas including securing funding to increase the number of forest rangers, as well as strengthening enforcement measures to prevent illegal logging.[7]

References

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Vauriella albigularis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22709182A94195238. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22709182A94195238.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Allen, Desmond (2020). Birds of the Philippines. Barcelona: Lynx and Birdlife International Fiedguides. pp. 326–327.
  3. ^ "Negros Jungle Flycatcher". Ebird.
  4. ^ Sangster, G.; Alström, P.; Forsmark, E.; Olsson, U. (2010). "Multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of Old World chats and flycatchers reveals extensive paraphyly at family, subfamily and genus level (Aves: Muscicapidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 57 (1): 380–392. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.07.008. PMID 20656044.
  5. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David (eds.). "Chats, Old World flycatchers". World Bird List Version 6.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  6. ^ Clement, Peter (2020). "Negros Jungle Flycatcher (Vauriella albigularis), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.negjuf1.01species_shared.bow.project_name. ISSN 2771-3105.
  7. ^ International), BirdLife International (BirdLife (2016-10-01). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Vauriella albigularis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2021-09-14.