The slaty-backed jungle flycatcher (Vauriella goodfellowi), also known as the Goodfellow's jungle flycatcher or the Mindanao jungle flycatcher is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Philippines found only on the island of Mindanao. The specific epithet honours the British zoological collector Walter Goodfellow. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss
Description and taxonomy
EBird describes the bird as "A medium-sized bird of mossy montane forest understory on Mindanao. Large for a flycatcher. Dark brown above, with pale gray-brown chest and sides and a white throat and belly. Note the white spectacles and forehead with a thin black eye-ring and black line connecting the eye and bill. Somewhat similar to Chestnut-tailed Flycatcher, but found at higher elevations and has obvious black-and-white lines in front of the eye. Voice includes high-pitched metallic whistles and a sharp “tsik!”"[2]
Not much information of its diet in the wild but includes small invertebrates. Forages silently close to the forest floor, typically along forest edge.
Birds in breeding condition and fledged young seen from February to October. No published comprehensive information at all about its breeding habits but this species is currently being studied by the Robert S. Kennedy Bird Conservancy and nests have been recorded in July.[5]
An illustration by Gould, 1906
Habitat and conservation status
It occupies montane mossy forest above 1,000 meters above sea level where they are seen usually solitary o in pairs. It is unobtrusive as it typically sits motionless on the forest understorey usually close to the ground. [6]
IUCN has assessed this bird as near threatened and the population is believed to be declining. It is rare within its range but may possibly be overlooked due to its sedentary habits. Its main threat is habitat loss through deforestation, mining, land conversion and slash-and-burn.
It is found in multiple protected areas such as Mount Apo and Kitanglad Mountain Range but like all areas in the Philippines protection is lax.
There are no species specific conservation plans at the moment but conservation actions proposed by the IUCN Red List are to do surveys to better understand population and range and to better protect its habitat. [7]
^Sangster, G.; Alström, P.; Forsmark, E.; Olsson, U. (2010). "Multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of Old World chats and flycatchers reveals extensive paraphyly at family, subfamily and genus level (Aves: Muscicapidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 57 (1): 380–392. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.07.008. PMID20656044.
^Gill, Frank; Donsker, David (eds.). "Chats, Old World flycatchers". World Bird List Version 6.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
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