• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic note

Previously listed as Kittacincla cebuensis (del Hoyo and Collar 2016), and before that as Copsychus cebuensis. Moved back to Copsychus on the basis of unpublished genetic data (Per Alström, in litt. via WGAC) that support a broad Copsychus. Sister-species to C. niger (Lim et al. 2010). Monotypic.

Taxonomic source(s)
Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International. 2022. Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 7. Available at: https://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v7_Dec22.zip.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	-

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2023	Least Concern
2016	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v);C2a(i)
2012	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v);C2a(i)
2008	Endangered	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,iv,v); C2a(i)
2004	Endangered
2000	Endangered
1996	Endangered
1994	Endangered
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	medium
Land-mass type	shelf island	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	6,600 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	10000-16500, 12000-13000 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2022
Population trend	stable	poor	suspected	-
Generation length	3.54 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	1-5,3	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	80-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: Estimates of this species' population size have varied depending on the method deployed. Most recently, Paguntalan et al. (2022) estimated a population size of 11,839 (9,160-15,415) birds across five sites. The population density estimated across these varied, yielding the following population estimates, in order of size, for each area (parenthetic values given as follows: density/km²; forest size; population estimate): Alcoy-Boljoon (349 birds/km²; 30 km²; 10,470 birds), Argao (237 birds/km²; 3 km²; 711 birds), Dalaguete (325 birds/km²; 1 km²; 325 birds), Catmon (284 birds/km²; 0.4 km²; 114 birds), CCPL (219 birds/km²; 1 km²; 219 birds). The majority of birds are thought to refer to mature individuals given that most detections during surveys were aural. These data do not, however, encompass all suitable habitat on Cebu. Paguntalan et al. (2022) note a number of other sites from which Copsychus cebuensis has been documented over the past decade, but for which either (1) survey effort was too sparse to deploy distance sampling estimations; or (2) records were not part of the study's sampling at all. None of these areas are thought to host more than few hundred individuals when combined, with the sampled Alcoy-Boljoon forest patch the only substantial area of forest left on the island of Cebu. Overall, the population is thought to number 10,000-16,500 mature individuals, with a best estimate of 12,000-13,000. These estimates are lower than some others made. For example, densities from Alcoy in 2004 (Jakosalem et al. unpublished, in Paguntalan et al. 2022) and 2012 (Malaki et al. 2013) were estimated at 350-1,750 individuals/km² and, extraordinarily, 5,200-5,300 birds/km² respectively. Similarly, a mist-net survey concluded that the species occurs at densities of c.1,300 individuals/km² (Parilla et al. 2019). Paguntalan et al. (2022) provide compelling evidence for their estimates being the most accurate made and their survey effort is certainly the most comprehensive. The estimates are therefore accepted here as the best available.

Trend justification: Historically, the species presumably occurred across Cebu, although the island was nearly totally cleared of native forest cover in the nineteenth century. Since 2000, approximately 2-3% forest cover loss has been estimated (Global Forest Watch 2022, based on data from Hansen et al. [2013] and methods disclosed therein) but none of this is known from areas in which the species has been recently recorded (eBird 2022, Paguntalan et al. 2022). Differences in method between previous population size estimations make trend analyses inappropriate, however remote sensing data indicate that in some occupied areas the area of second growth may have expanded, to the benefit of this species. Genetic data from Parilla et al. (2019) also found no evidence of recent declines at their study sites. All sites, including small, isolated urban ones occupied at the end of the previous century, remain occupied (cf. Collar et al. [1999] and Paguntalan et al. [2022]), while the latter authors also recorded the species at eight new localities, which it is believed to have colonised recently (and thus likely represent a genuine increase in occupancy). Ongoing reforestation schemes on the island from local government and NGOs are also likely to benefit this species in the future (Paguntalan et al. 2022). Overall, the population trend is precautionarily described as stable, but may be increasing.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Philippines	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Philippines	Central Cebu (including Tabunan)
Philippines	Mount Kangbulagsing and Mount Lanaya
Philippines	Nug-as and Mount Lantoy

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Plantations	suitable	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical Moist	suitable	resident
Altitude	0 - 600 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Whole (>90%)		Rapid Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Residential & commercial development	Commercial & industrial areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black Shama Copsychus cebuensis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-shama-copsychus-cebuensis on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.