Visayan shama

Last updated

Visayan shama
Visayan Shama.png
Male
Visayan Shama Female.png
Female
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Copsychus
Species:
C. superciliaris
Binomial name
Copsychus superciliaris
(Bourns & Worcester, 1894)

The Visayan shama (Copsychus superciliaris) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to Ticao, Masbate, Negros, and Panay in the Philippines. It formerly considered a subspecies of the white-browed shama (Copsychus luzoniensis). [1]

Contents

Description and taxonomy

Described on ebird as "A medium-sized, long-tailed bird... Black on the upperparts and tail, with a white belly and pale pink legs. Male has a black throat and chest. Female has a rufous patch on the rump and lower back, and a white throat with a black breast band. Somewhat similar to Philippine magpie-robin, but has a long white eyebrow and no white wing patch. Heard more often than seen. Gives a very varied song, with loud melodic whistles, warbling trills, and repeated loud “chew chew chew!” notes." [2]

It was previously conspecific with the White-browed shama but it differs in molecular genetics, vocally, an all black rump, wings and tail, lacking the White-browed's white wingpatch, shorter tail and longer legs. [3]

Ecology and behavior

Not much is known about the diet but also pressumed to feed on a typical shama diet of insects. Usually seen in pairs foraging close to the forest floor or thickets with a lot of tangled vines.

Nothing is known about its breeding habits. [4]

Habitat and conservation

Its natural habitat is moist tropical primary and secondary forest up to 1,000 meters above sea level. [5]

International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed this bird as least-concern species but with a declining population.

This species' main threat is habitat loss with wholesale clearance of forest habitats as a result of logging, agricultural conversion and mining activities occurring within the range. Negros Island is one of the most deforested areas in the country due to its sugar industry and logging with most of its forests being totally lost before the 21st century. Forest cover on Negros and Panay is just 3% and 6% respectively and these figures are still declining.

It occurs in a few protected areas within Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park and Northern Negros Natural Park; however, protection and enforcement against deforestation is lax. It also occurs in the proposed Central Panay Mountain Range Park which contains the largest block of remaining forest in the Western Visayas, and the tourist destination of Twin Lakes (Mount Talinis). Both sites benefit from conservation funding but are still under threat by deforestation. [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visayan hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Visayan hornbill is a hornbill found in tropical moist lowland forests of the Philippines in the Western Visayas region which includes the islands of Panay, Negros and formerly as well as the island of Masbate, and formerly Ticao, in the Philippines. As is the case with all five Philippine tarictic hornbills, formerly considered to be just one species.It is declining due to habitat destruction, hunting and the illegal wildlife trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine tailorbird</span> Species of bird

The Philippine tailorbird, also known as the Visayan tailorbird or the Chestnut-crowned tailorbird is a species of bird formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but now placed in the family Cisticolidae. It is native to the Philippines in Western Visayas. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests, tropical mangrove forests and secondary growth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samar hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Samar hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in forests on the islands of Samar, Calicoan, Leyte and Bohol in the east-central Philippines. As is the case with all Philippine tarictic hornbills, it has been considered a subspecies of Visayan hornbill Alternatively, it is considered a subspecies of Mindanao hornbill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black shama</span> Species of bird

The Black shama is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the island of Cebu, Philippines where it is known locally as "Siloy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-browed shama</span> Species of bird

The white-browed shama is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Philippines found only on the islands of Luzon,Marinduque and the Polillo Islands. The Visayan shama, formerly considered a subspecies, was split as a distinct species in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-vented shama</span> Species of bird

The white-vented shama is a species of bird in the chat and flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Palawan, Balabac and Calamian in the Philippines. Along with the Black shama, White-browed shama and Visayan shama are the four endemic shamas of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-winged cuckooshrike</span> Species of bird

The white-winged cuckooshrike, also known as white-winged cicadabird or white-winged graybird, is a species of bird in the family Campephagidae. It is endemic to the Philippines found on the islands of Negros, Panay and formerly on Guimaras. Some taxonomists place this species in the genus Analisoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flame-templed babbler</span> Species of bird

The flame-templed babbler is a species of bird of the family Zosteropidae, in the genus Dasycrotapha. It is one of the most remarkable and distinctive birds with its complex head markings with orange crown tufts, black ears and yellow beak and face. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is found on the islands of Panay and Negros. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. Along with the Negros striped babbler, it is one of the two babbler species extremely sought after by birdwatchers on Negros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-and-white triller</span> Species of bird

The black-and-white triller is a species of bird in the family Campephagidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine oriole</span> Species of bird

The Philippine oriole or grey-throated oriole is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae. It is endemic to the Philippine found on Mindanao and most of the Visayan Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-throated jungle flycatcher</span> Species of bird

The white-throated jungle flycatcher, 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 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. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindanao blue fantail</span> Species of bird

The Mindanao blue fantail is a species of bird in the family Rhipiduridae. It is one of 47 species in the genus Rhipidura. It is endemic to the Philippines found only on the island of Mindanao and Basilan. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It was previously conspecific with the Visayan blue fantail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Negros striped babbler</span> Species of bird

The Negros striped babbler is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to Negros Island in the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forest in the range of 900–1,600 masl. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visayan blue fantail</span> Species of bird

The Visayan blue fantail is a species of bird in the family Rhipiduridae. It is endemic to the Philippines on the islands of Bohol, Leyte and Samar. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It was previously conspecific with the Mindanao blue fantail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visayan fantail</span> Species of bird

The Visayan fantail is a fantail endemic to the Philippines on islands of Negros, Panay, Guimaras, Masbate and Ticao. Until recently, it was considered conspecific with the blue-headed fantail and Tablas fantail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine pied fantail</span> Species of bird

The Philippine pied fantail is a medium-size species of bird in the family Rhipiduridae endemic to the Philippines. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Malaysian pied fantail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maroon-naped sunbird</span> Species of bird

The maroon-naped sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is endemic to the Philippines found on the islands of Negros Island, Panay and Guimaras. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visayan rhabdornis</span> Species of bird

The Visayan rhabdornis is a species of bird currently placed in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is endemic to the central Philippines on the islands of Negros and Panay. It was previously considered a subspecies of the stripe-breasted rhabdornis. It lives in tropical moist montane forest and is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bundok flycatcher</span> Species of bird

The Bundok flycatcher or thicket flycatcher, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Philippines found in tropical montane forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visayan cuckooshrike</span> Species of bird

The Visayan cuckooshrike is a passerine bird in the family Campephagidae that is found on the western Visayas of the Philippines on the islands of Panay, Negros, Masbate, Guimaras and Ticao Island. The species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the bar-bellied cuckooshrike.

References

  1. "Species Updates – IOC World Bird List" . Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  2. "Visayan Shama". Ebird.
  3. Collar, Nigel; Kirwan, Guy M. (2020). "White-browed Shama (Copsychus luzoniensis), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.whbsha1.01. ISSN   2771-3105.
  4. del Hoyo, Josep; Collar, Nigel; Kirwan, Guy M. (2020). "Visayan Shama (Copsychus superciliaris), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.vissha1.01. ISSN   2771-3105.
  5. Allen, Desmond (2020). Birds of the Philippiens. Barcelona: Lynx. pp. 318–319.
  6. "Flame-templed Babbler (Dasycrotapha speciosa) - BirdLife species factsheet". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  7. IUCN (2016-10-01). Kittacincla superciliaris: BirdLife International: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T103894735A104347902 (Report). International Union for Conservation of Nature. doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-3.rlts.t103894735a104347902.en.