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

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.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	C2a(i)	C2a(i)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2020	Endangered	C2a(i)
2016	Endangered	C2a(i)
2013	Endangered	C2a(i)
2012	Endangered	C2a(i)
2008	Endangered	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,v); C2a(i)
2004	Endangered
2000	Endangered
1996	Endangered
1994	Endangered
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type	continent	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	5,009 km2	medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	3,612 km2
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	1000-2499 mature individuals	poor	estimated	2020
Population trend	decreasing	poor	inferred	-
Generation length	3.1 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2-100	-	-	-

Population justification: The population size for this species has not been directly quantified, but it is safe to estimate, given the limited sightings by researchers actively looking for the bird, that there are fewer than 1,000 pairs (M. Mills in litt. 2020) in the global population. M. Mills (in litt. 2020) reports not sighting this species in Kumbira (the best known site for this species) since 2017, and that this is not atypical across the whole of the species range. Extensive surveys along the central escarpment in 2018-2019 found three pairs over ten days of searching (M. Mills in litt. 2020). Only one pair is now known at Bango, where previously there had been several (M. Mills. in litt. 2020). It is also reported by P. Vaz Pinto (in litt. 2020) that the species is now rarely observed in Kumbira, and that only two pairs were located after several weeks of searching in 2019. Further surveys elsewhere in the range only reported one additional pair. It is also likely that over the past several years, birdwatchers have observed no more than 10 pairs (P. Vaz Pinto in litt. 2020). Additionally, L Fishpool (in litt. 2020) only observed one pair of Gabela Bush-shrike after three days actively searching for the bird in places it had been previously recorded, and using playback recordings in the hope of generating a response. Therefore, the population size is tentatively placed here in the 1,000 - 2,499 band.

Trend justification: The population is inferred to be in decline owing to the loss and degradation of the species's forest habitat through clearance and modification for cultivation (Mills, in litt. 2020; Vaz Pinto, in litt. 2020; Fishpool, in litt. 2020). The likely rate of decline, however, has not been estimated.

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

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Angola	Camabatela
Angola	Gabela

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Plantations	suitable	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	730 - 1100 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
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Whole (>90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation
Transportation & service corridors	Roads & railroads	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Gabela Bushshrike Laniarius amboimensis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/gabela-bushshrike-laniarius-amboimensis 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.