Little slaty flycatcher

Little slaty flycatcher
Male ssp samarensis
Female ssp. basilanica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Ficedula
Species:
F. basilanica
Binomial name
Ficedula basilanica
(Sharpe, 1877)

The little slaty flycatcher (Ficedula basilanica) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found on the islands of Mindanao, Leyte and Samar in the Philippines.

Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Description and taxonomy

EBird describes the bird as "A small bird of tangled undergrowth in lowland and foothill forest. White below with pale orange legs. Male has dark gray upperparts and a short white stripe behind each eye. Upperparts are dark brown in female with no head stripes. Female similar to Chestnut-tailed Jungle Flycatcher, but has orange legs and a dark brown rather than chestnut tail. Song consists of short, varied whistled notes, often in a rising or falling series. Also gives single thin high downslurred whistles."[2]

They are sexually dimorphic in which males have the eponymous slaty-grey color with the females being light brown.[3] Usually secretive and solitary remaining hidden in low and dense foliage. It is known to feed on insects but otherwise diet is largely unknown.[4]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized:

  • F.b.basilanica - Found on Mindanao, Dinagat and Basilan. No recent records on Basilan and Dinagat Islands. Smaller ear patch, lighter head and a darker tail.
  • F.b.samarensis - Found on Samar and Leyte. No recent records on Leyte. Has a much more prominent white ear patch, a darker head and a paler tail.[3]

Ecology and behavior

Its diet mostly unknown but it includes small invertebrates. It is usually solitary and typically found in dense undergrowth. This bird's breeding habits are poorly known. Birds in breeding condition with enlarged gonads have been collected in May and June. One nest has been found made of roots and leaves containing 2 eggs. No other information is known.[5]

Habitat and conservation status

Its natural habitats at tropical moist lowland primary forest and well developed secondary forest up to 1,200 meters above sea level. It is often seen close to the forest floor staying in the low understory.

IUCN has assessed this bird as vulnerable with the population being estimated at 2,500 to 9,999 mature individuals. Extensive lowland deforestation on all islands in its range is the main threat. Most remaining lowland forest that is not afforded protection leaving it vulnerable to both legal and Illegal logging, conversion into farmlands through Slash-and-burn and mining.

It occurs in the protected areas of Pasonanca Natural Park, Mount Apo National Park and Mt. Hilong-hilong National Park but enforcement and protection from loggers are lax.

References

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Ficedula basilanica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22709373A94205577. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22709373A94205577.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Little Slaty Flycatcher". Ebird.
  3. ^ a b Allen, Desmond (2020). Birds of the Philippines. Barcelona: Lynx and Birdlife International Fieldguides. pp. 332–333.
  4. ^ Clement, Peter (2020). "Little Slaty Flycatcher (Ficedula basilanica), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.lisfly1.01. ISSN 2771-3105.
  5. ^ Clement, Peter (2020). "Little Slaty Flycatcher (Ficedula basilanica), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.lisfly1.01. ISSN 2771-3105.
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