São Tomé Fiscal

The Newton - shrike (Lanius newtoni ), sometimes referred to as São Tomé Strangler, is a very rare species of bird in the family of the Strangler. It is endemic to the island of São Tomé in the Gulf of Guinea. Named is the way to Francisco Newton, a Portuguese naturalist who worked for José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage.

Description

The Newton - shrikes reaches a length 20-21 centimeters. Beak, head, top and upper tail-coverts are black. The shoulders are characterized by a white-yellow tinted lightning -shaped pattern. Chin, chest, abdomen, flanks, rump and under tail-coverts are bright yellow. The tail is stepped. The middle tail feathers are black. The outer webs have a white color, which increases from the inner to the outer tail feathers. The song consists of a tiuh often repetitive clearly whistled tiuh and a metallic Tsink Tsink, which can be heard over long distances.

Habitat

The Newton - shrike inhabits primary lowland forests and forests at medium altitudes up to 1,000 m. It is mainly to be found under the closed tree cover and pages with little or no undergrowth. Many observations originate from hills and waterways.

Status

Prior to its rediscovery in 1990, the Newton - shrike was known only from two evidence from the years 1888 through Newton and 1928 by Jose G. Correia, who collected thirteen copies. In July 1990, a single copy on the barrel of the Xufexufe was observed in the southwest of the island of São Tomé. Since 1994, regular observations in the basin of the Xufexufe. Furthermore, the species was observed in Valverde in the valley of the Rio Grande io in the middle of the island and south of Pequeno in the region of Bombaim. 2007, there was evidence at Ribeira Peixe and Ana Chaves. Due to the small numbers of observations BirdLife International estimates the stock to less than 50 copies. The actual population is unknown. In the past, the biggest threat was the conversion of forests into cocoa and coffee plantations. Invasive species such as house rats or the Mona monkey and palm wine harvest is a potential hazard dar. In the future, the increasing number of small farms and the associated clearing of trees to further restrict the habitat of the Newton - strangler.