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

Justification of Red List category
This species occupies a very small range on one island, and therefore has a small total population. As it appears to be most abundant in forest, the continuing degradation of this habitat within its range, and hence a concomitant decline in population, qualifies it as Endangered.

Population justification
Within this species' range remains c.70 km² of forest (Global Forest Watch 2024), most of which is assumed to be occupied given its status as a fairly common bird (Eaton et al. 2021). Its density is unknown but encounter rates on eBird (2024) are 1.00-5.33 birds per km walked; n=5 checklists, mean 2.11, median 1.25). If the species had discrete detectability of 20 m either side of an observer, and the mean encounter rate is used, this would suggest a density of c.50 mature individuals/km², a figure that is not entirely disparate from densities of other monarch species when occupancy is also taken into account (e.g. Marsden et al. 1997, Poulsen 1998). A broader range of 25-75 mature individuals/km² is used to account for considerable uncertainty in the data used, and hence a population size of 1,750-5,250 mature individuals is estimated. Targeted data are urgently needed to confirm or refute this figure.

Trend justification
Declining in response to habitat loss and degradation. Forest cover in this species' range reduced by c.10% over the past ten years (Global Forest Watch 2024) and this is thought to have had an almost parallel impact on this species' population size because while it is tolerant of some scrubby/degraded forest habitats (Eaton et al. 2021), much of the forest cover loss between 2012 and 2022 amounted to total forest clearance and conversion to agriculture, which this species is not tolerant of. Between 2016-2018, forest loss accelerated to a rate equivalent to  c.15-20% over ten years, highlighting the fragility of remaining forests to overexploitation. Rates of population decline are therefore set to 5-15% for the past ten years (2012 to 2022), with future rates of decline (between 2023 and 2033) set at 5-29%, to reflect immense uncertainty over how heavily exploited remaining forests will be. In the absence of any protected area on the island, it cannot be assured that large swathes of forest will not be removed.

Symposiachrus everetti is endemic to the island of Tanahjampea in the Flores Sea, between the southern peninsula of Sulawesi and the island of Flores in Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia (BirdLife International 2001).

Fairly common resident in forest, but less so in forest edge, scrub and mangroves. Absent from agricultural areas.

The main threat to this species is deforestation. Forest cover in this species' range reduced by c.10% over the past ten years (Global Forest Watch 2024) and this is thought to have had an almost parallel impact on this species' population size because while it is tolerant of some scrubby/degraded forest habitats (Eaton et al. 2021), much of the forest cover loss between 2012 and 2022 amounted to total forest clearance and conversion to agriculture. There is no evidence for other threats.

Conservation Actions Underway
No targeted conservation actions are known for this species.

Conservation Actions Proposed
The most urgent priority for this species is to establish a formal protected area on Tanahjampea which is effective at halting forest loss. This should include initiatives led by local communities and an education programme aimed at promoting the importance of protecting remaining forests for biodiversity and communities. Second, research should be undertaken to determine exactly how many individuals of this species remain and to more accurately quantify its tolerance of habitat degradation. Remote sensing data should continue to be used to determine the rates of habitat loss within its range.

14 cm. Strikingly patterned flycatcher. Black head, chest and upperparts with underparts, rump and distal half of outer-tail feathers white. Immature greyer and browner, with or without a rusty rump. Similar spp. Male White-shouldered Triller Lalage sueurii has white throat and large area of white on wing. White-breasted Wood-swallow Artamus leucorhynchus has shorter tail lacking white and very different, aerial habits. Voice Slightly tremulous, plaintive whistle and harsh, scolding notes.

Text account compilers
Berryman, A.

Contributors
Dutson, G. & Bashari, B.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: White-tipped Monarch Symposiachrus everetti. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/white-tipped-monarch-symposiachrus-everetti 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.