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

Justification of Red List category
This species is listed as Near Threatened because it is suspected to be in moderately rapid population decline owing to on-going forest clearance, especially in lowland areas. It is not considered more threatened because it can use secondary habitats and lower montane forest.

Population justification
The population size is unknown, but the species is described as uncommon (Allen 2020).

Trend justification
The species is most abundant in lowland primary forest and mature secondary forest, with populations occurring at half-density in early-stage secondary forest (Mallari et al. 2011) and scarcely at all in cultivation and open country. Global Forest Watch (2021, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein) data indicate that c.20% of forest cover (with greater than 30% canopy cover) has been lost over the past 10 years. This value does not account for additional impacts and losses caused by forest degradation, which is pervasive in Palawan's lowlands, such that the population is suspected of declining at a rate greater than 20% over 10 years.

Cyornis lemprieri is endemic to Palawan, Balabac, Culion and Calauit, Philippines, where it is uncommon to locally common in suitable habitat (Allen 2020). There are records from St Paul's Subterranean River National Park, Iwahig Penal Colony and Mt Mantakinghan, with a breeding record from Mt Mananangob and a good population at Singnapan. It also occurs in Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (Mallari et al. 2011).

It occurs in lowland submontane dry primary forest and second growth, to 1,000 m, where it forages in the understorey. Birds in breeding condition have been observed in April-June. Recent surveys in Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park found the species in early and advanced secondary growth, as well as habitats within agricultural land (Mallari et al. 2011), albeit in all cases at lower densities than in primary forest, indicating some level of tolerance to habitat modification.

The principal threat to this species is forest loss. Although the species can occur in some degraded forest, it does so at much lower densities than in primary forest and mature secondary (Mallari et al. 2011). Forest clearance on Palawan for agriculture and timber has been relatively severe, and is projected to exceed 20% over the next 10 years, leading to a near-equal decline in the population of this species.

Conservation Actions Underway
No targeted conservation actions are known for this species, although some of its habitat is within protected areas.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Carry out further surveys of habitats to generate density estimates for the species and estimate the global population based on these findings. Protect remaining fragments of lowland forest within its range. Continue to monitor net rates of forest clearance (primary and secondary) within Palawan using remote sensing. 

Text account compilers
Bird, J., Berryman, A., Taylor, J., Butchart, S., Khwaja, N.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Palawan Blue Flycatcher Cyornis lemprieri. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/palawan-blue-flycatcher-cyornis-lemprieri on 22/11/2024.
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 22/11/2024.