São Tomé fiscal

São Tomé fiscal
Illustration (lower bird) with Lanius marwitzi (above)
Conservation status

Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
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 or Newton's 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 montane forests.

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]

References

External links