Visayan rhabdornis

Visayan rhabdornis
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Sturnidae
Genus:	Rhabdornis
Species:	R. rabori
Binomial name
Rhabdornis rabori Rand, 1950

The Visayan rhabdornis (Rhabdornis rabori) 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.^[2] It lives in tropical moist montane forest and is threatened by habitat loss.

EBird describes the bird as "A medium-sized bird of foothill and lower montane forest on Negros and Panay with an off-white throat, a white belly, brown upperparts, darker wings and tail, a black mask, a gray crown, and pale brown sides broadly streaked white. Often perches on dead branches. Similar to Stripe-sided Rhabdornis, but usually found at higher elevations, bill is shorter and thicker, and crown is gray rather than dark with white streaks. Voice includes high-pitched chips and squeals."^[3]

Was formerly conspecific with the Stripe-breasted rhabdornis and Grand rhabdornis but is differentiated by pale brownish gray mask, paler gray crown and plainer head, brown-gray throat and black spotting on neck and a longer tail.

This species is monotypic.

Its is a generalist with its diet as it feeds on various food sources such as insects, berries and nectar. It typically forages in the cannopy and perches on dead trees.

Not much is known about its breeding habits. Season is pressumed to be March to June which is around the time most other forest birds breed. Nest is made from sticks placed in a tree cavity. ^[4]

It lives in sub-montane and montane primary and secondary forest, forest edge and occasionally in clearings with an altitude range of 800 to 1,700 meters above sea level. It is often seen on the upper levels of the forest strata in the canopy.^[5]

IUCN Red List has assessed the Visayan rhabdornis as Least Concern, with an estimated population of 2,500 to 9,999 mature individuals. This species was previously listed as a vulnerable species due to its rarity but the assessors justified its downlisting by stating that this species was likely overlooked and its submontane habitat is less under threat than the remaining lowland forest. However, a researcher spent 51 days in Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park and only encountered this bird 6 times despite actively looking for this bird, highlighting its rarity.^[6]

Despite this, this bird's main threat is extensive habitat loss on Negros and Panay. Primary forests have been almost totally destroyed on Negros (where just 4% of any type of forest cover remained in 1988) and Panay (where 8% remained). Habitat degradation, through clearance for agriculture, timber and charcoal burning, continues to seriously threaten remaining fragments

Conservation actions proposed include surveys to determine the species' status in Negros and Panay and increased forest protection.^[7]

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