LC
Rusty-flanked Robin-chat Dessonornis macclounii



Taxonomy

Taxonomic note
Dessonornis anomalus, D. macclounii and D. mbuluensis (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) were previously lumped as Cossypha anomala following Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993) and Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2016 Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency medium
Land-mass type Average mass 24 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 212,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown - - -
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 4.6 years - - -

Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as abundant on the Nyika plateau and scarce elsewhere in its range (del Hoyo et al. 2005).

Trend justification: The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Malawi extant native yes
Tanzania extant native yes
Zambia extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Malawi Nyika National Park (Malawi)
Malawi Uzumara Forest Reserve
Malawi South Viphya Forest Reserve
Tanzania Udzungwa National Park
Tanzania Livingstone Mountains forests
Tanzania Njombe forests
Tanzania Rubeho Mountains
Tanzania Mount Rungwe
Tanzania Udzungwa Mountains
Tanzania Ukaguru Mountains
Tanzania Uluguru Mountains
Zambia Nyika National Park (Zambia)

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Rural Gardens suitable resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane major resident
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits  

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Species factsheet: Dessonornis macclounii. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/rusty-flanked-robin-chat-dessonornis-macclounii on 07/12/2023.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2023) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org on 07/12/2023.