LC
Mountain Robin-chat Cossyphicula isabellae



Taxonomy

Taxonomic note

Previously listed as Oreocossypha isabellae (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) and before that as Cossypha isabellae, but unpublished genetic data (Per Alström, in litt via WGAC) clearly place isabellae as sister to Cossyphicula roberti. Has sometimes been placed in genus Dryocichloides or in Sheppardia. Two subspecies recognized.

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.

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

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2024 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/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) 89,600 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown - - -
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 3.28 years - - -

Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as fairly common and commonest at higher elevations (del Hoyo et al. 2005). The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation.

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
Cameroon extant native yes
Nigeria extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Cameroon Bakossi mountains
Cameroon Bali-Ngemba Forest Reserve
Cameroon Banyang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary
Cameroon Mbi Crater Faunal Reserve - Mbingo forest
Cameroon Mont Manengouba
Cameroon Mount Cameroon and Mokoko-Onge
Cameroon Mount Kupe
Cameroon Mount Mbam
Cameroon Mount Oku
Cameroon Mount Rata and Rumpi Hills Forest Reserve
Cameroon Njinsing - Tabenken
Cameroon Tchabal-Mbabo
Nigeria Gashaka-Gumti National Park
Nigeria Obudu Plateau

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land marginal resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane major resident
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits (min) 800 m

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture international

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Mountain Robin-chat Cossyphicula isabellae. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/mountain-robin-chat-cossyphicula-isabellae on 23/12/2024.
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 23/12/2024.