Liberian Greenbul

The Fleckflügelbülbül ( Phyllastrephus leucolepis ) is a little known species of the genus Schlankschnabelbülbüls ( Phyllastrephus ). She lives in a very small area in Liberia.

Description

The Fleckflügelbülbül was first discovered in 1981 by the German forest ecologists and ornithologists Wulf gate and described in 1985. It reaches a body length of 15 centimeters. He is oberseits monochrome olive; the underside of the body is pale yellow. The chest shows a faded, olive-colored stain. Diagnosis are the yellow tips of the secondaries and the large coverts.

Dissemination

The Fleckflügelbülbül has a very small distribution area, which is less than 100 km ². He is only two forest fragments 20 km northwest of Zwedru near the river Cavalla River in Grand Gedeh County in southeastern Liberia known. Despite several searches ( at the beginning of the civil war in Liberia) the bird has not been established in other areas.

Habitat and behavior

The Fleckflügelbülbül is a resident of the Upper Guinea Rainforest, an area which is one of IUCN 's 25 most outstanding biodiversity centers ( biodiversity hotspots) of the earth. Its habitat is the transitional zone between evergreen and semi- evergreen forests. He joins squads of different species of birds and is near the stem base branches in four to eight meters in search of food.

Status

BirdLife International estimates the current stock of between 250 and 1000 copies and kategoriert the species as " critically endangered ". Despite research since 1985 there has been, however, no more evidence of the kind. The forest in the Terra typica was cleared of small farmers and is now highly fragmented. Also, the civil war has contributed to the destruction of the forest.