LC
White-vented Shama Copsychus niger



Taxonomy

Taxonomic note

Previously listed as Kittacincla nigra (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) before that as Copsychus niger. Moved back to Copsychus on the basis of unpublished genetic data (Per Alström, in litt.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. cebuensis (Lim et al. 2010). Has sometimes been considered closely related to, and possibly conspecific with, Copsychus saularis, but a close relationship is rejected by genetic data (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.

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 28 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 48,200 km2
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown - - -
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 3.21 years - - -

Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as uncommon, although perhaps locally common (del Hoyo et al. 2005). This species is considered to have a medium dependency on forest habitat, and tree cover is estimated to have declined by 13.3% within its mapped range over the past 10 years (Global Forest Watch 2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it is tentatively suspected that this loss of cover may have led to a decline of between 1-19% in the species' population size over the same time frame.

Trend justification:   .


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

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Philippines Balabac Island
Philippines Busuanga Island
Philippines Culion Island
Philippines El Nido
Philippines Mount Mantalingahan
Philippines Puerto Princesa Subterranean River Natural Park / Cleopatra's Needle
Philippines Victoria and Anepahan Ranges

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest suitable resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland major resident
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Moist suitable resident
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits  

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: White-vented Shama Copsychus niger. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/white-vented-shama-copsychus-niger 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.