| São Tomé Fiscal | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Laniidae |
| Genus: | Lanius |
| Species: | L. newtoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Lanius newtoni Barboza du Bocage, 1891 |
|
| Distribution of the São Tomé Fiscal | |
The São Tomé Fiscal (Lanius newtoni) is a species of bird in the Laniidae family. It is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe. It is 20 to 21 centimeters long. The bird is black above with a white shoulder-scapular bar.[1] The São Tomé Fiscal has a yellow chin, breast, belly, flanks vent and under tail.[2] Its graduated tail has all black central tail feathers and an increasing amount of white on outer web from inner to outer tail feathers.[3] The Lanius newtoni has a clear voice with a whistle tiuh tiuh often repeated and metallic tsink tsink audible over a long distance.[1]
The species lives on the island of São Tomé and is usually found under closed canopy.[1] Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.
Due to habitat loss, it now lives in a government-protected forest to help its endangerment problem.[4] It is one of the 168 species considered to be a critically endangered bird, which means it has a fifty percent chance of becoming extinct within the next five years.[5] In 2008 it made the Rare Birds yearbook.[6]