Justification of Red List Category
This forest-associated species is listed as Near Threatened because it is assumed to have experienced moderately rapid declines owing to the extensive loss of lowland forests from large areas of South-East Asia. It is not considered more threatened because it can use secondary habitats and occurs in lower montane forests which have not yet been severely affected by clearance.
Population justification
The population size is unknown, but the species is described as generally scarce to uncommon, although locally common (del Hoyo et al. 2006).
Trend justification
Rates of forest loss in the Sundaic lowlands have been extremely rapid (Kalimantan lost nearly 25% of its evergreen forest during 1985-1997, and Sumatra lost almost 30% of its 1985 cover), because of a variety of factors, including the escalation of logging and land conversion, with deliberate targeting of all remaining stands of valuable timber including those inside protected areas, plus forest fires (particularly in 1997-1998). Because it tolerates degraded, fragmented and secondary habitats the species is thought to have avoided rapid declines.
Cyornis umbratilis is restricted to the Sundaic lowlands, occurring in peninsular Thailand; Sabah, Sarawak and peninsular Malaysia; Kalimantan and Sumatra (including offshore islands), Indonesia, and Brunei. It is locally not uncommon and occurs within small forest fragments. Nevertheless, declines are inferred in the past owing to the extensive loss of forest cover in lowland South-East Asia.
It occurs in lowland primary and secondary broadleaved forests, coastal peatswamp forest, Melanorrhoea heath-forest and overgrown rubber plantations to 1,160 m; although logged forests may be more important to this species than secondary growth and plantations (D. L. Yong in litt. 2016). Breeding has been recorded between January and August, with one nest described as a cup-shaped structure concealed inside a large Macaranga leaf (Yong and Lim 2008).
Forest destruction in the Sundaic lowlands of Indonesia, and in Thailand and Malaysia has been extensive (Kalimantan lost nearly 25% of its evergreen forest during 1985-1997, and Sumatra lost almost 30% of its 1985 cover). However, the species's use of logged forest, second growth and plantations implies that it is not immediately threatened; although it may be more dependent on logged forest than secondary growth or plantations (D. L. Yong in litt. 2016).
Conservation Actions Underway
No species-specific actions are known but a number of protected areas lie within its range.
Text account compilers
Khwaja, N., Bird, J., Westrip, J., Butchart, S.
Contributors
Yong, D.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2022) Species factsheet: Cyornis umbratilis. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 26/06/2022.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2022) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 26/06/2022.