Palawan blue-flycatcher (Cyornis lemprieri)

Description

Palawan blue-flycatcher fact file

• Description
• Biology
• Range
• Habitat
• Status
• Threats
• Conservation
• Find out more
• Glossary
• References
• Print factsheet

Palawan blue-flycatcher description

The Palawan blue-flycatcher (Cyornis lemprieri) is a small, attractive songbird from the Philippines ⁽³⁾.

The male and female Palawan blue-flycatcher differ significantly in appearance. The male has a brilliant iridescent deep blue head and wings, with a golden chest and white belly. In contrast, the female is less showy and better camouflaged, having brown feathers on the head and wings, an orange-yellow chest, and a white underbelly ⁽²⁾. Both the male and female Palawan blue-flycatcher have a small, sharp beak for gleaning insects, and large, bright eyes ⁽²⁾.

The call of the Palawan blue-flycatcher is a slow, soft whistle consisting of a descending ‘de do da’ phrase followed by a rising ‘da do de’, after a pause of a few seconds. This species also makes a four-note ‘da de do poy’ call ⁽²⁾.

Also known as

Palawan blue flycatcher.

Size

Length: 16 cm ⁽²⁾

Palawan blue-flycatcher biology

A shy bird which is often hidden among the understorey foliage, the Palawan blue-flycatcher is rarely seen. It typically occurs on its own or in pairs ⁽²⁾ as it forages for insects in the understory ⁽³⁾.

The Palawan blue-flycatcher breeds in April and June ⁽³⁾, but very little other information is available on this bird’s breeding biology.

Palawan blue-flycatcher range

The Palawan blue-flycatcher is endemic to the islands of Palawan, Balabac, Culion and Calauit in the Philippines ⁽⁴⁾.

Palawan blue-flycatcher habitat

The Palawan blue-flycatcher inhabits the understorey of lowland dry primary rainforest and secondary growth, below elevations of 1,000 metres ⁽³⁾.

Palawan blue-flycatcher status

The Palawan blue-flycatcher is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List ⁽¹⁾.

Palawan blue-flycatcher threats

The major threat to the Palawan blue-flycatcher is forest loss, which is particularly severe on the island of Palawan ⁽³⁾. The lowland forest of the Philippines has been greatly impacted by logging, mining and land conversion, compounded by a rapidly growing human population ⁽⁵⁾. As a result, a mere three percent of the Philippines’ lowland forest is estimated to remain ⁽⁵⁾.

Fortunately, the Palawan blue-flycatcher is less affected by deforestation than some other species, due to its ability to inhabit secondary growth ⁽³⁾.

Palawan blue-flycatcher conservation

The Palawan blue-flycatcher has been observed in one protected area, in St Paul's Subterranean River National Park on Palawan ⁽³⁾. However, no specific conservation measures are currently known to be in place for this species.

Proposed conservation actions for the Palawan blue-flycatcher include determining the rates of forest clearance on Palawan, and surveying the Palawan blue-flycatcher’s habitat to provide estimates of its population ⁽³⁾. It will also be important, both for this species and for numerous others, to protect all remaining fragments of lowland forest within the Palawan blue-flycatcher’s range ⁽³⁾.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Find out more

Find out more about the Palawan blue-flycatcher and its conservation:

• BirdLife International - Palawan blue-flycatcher:
  http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=6565

More information on conservation in the Philippines:

• Conservation International: Biodiversity Hotspots - Philippines:
  http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/hotspots/philippines

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Glossary

Endemic

A species or taxonomic group that is only found in one particular country or geographic area.

Primary rainforest

Rainforest that has remained undisturbed for a long time and has reached a mature condition.

Secondary growth

Vegetation that has re-grown after a major disturbance, such as fire or clearance.

References

1. IUCN Red List (June, 2011)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org/
2. Kennedy, R.S. (2000) A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
3. BirdLife International (June, 2011)
   http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=6565
4. del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. and Christie, D. (2006) Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
5. Conservation International: Biodiversity Hotspots - Philippines (June, 2011)
   http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/hotspots/philippines