Little slaty flycatcher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little slaty flycatcher |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ficedula
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| Species: |
basilanica
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The little slaty flycatcher (Ficedula basilanica) is a small, special bird found only in the Philippines. It belongs to the Muscicapidae family, which includes many types of flycatchers. You can find this unique bird on the islands of Mindanao, Leyte, and Samar.
This bird loves living in warm, moist lowland forests. Sadly, its home is shrinking because of habitat loss.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The little slaty flycatcher is a small bird. Males and females look different, which is called being sexually dimorphic.
Male Birds
Male little slaty flycatchers have dark gray feathers on their upper body. They also have a short white stripe behind each eye. Their legs are a pale orange color.
Female Birds
Female birds have dark brown feathers on their upper body. Unlike the males, they do not have any white stripes on their heads. Their legs are also orange.
How to Tell Them Apart
It can be tricky to tell a female little slaty flycatcher from a Chestnut-tailed Jungle Flycatcher. However, the little slaty flycatcher has orange legs and a dark brown tail. The Chestnut-tailed Jungle Flycatcher has a chestnut-colored tail.
What Does It Sound Like?
This bird sings short, varied whistling notes. These notes often go up or down in a series. It also makes single, thin, high-pitched whistles that go downwards.
Where Does It Live and Is It Safe?
The little slaty flycatcher lives in tropical moist lowland primary forests. It also lives in well-developed secondary forests. These forests can be found up to 1,200 meters (about 3,900 feet) above sea level. This bird often stays close to the forest floor, hiding in the low understory plants.
Conservation Status
Experts have listed this bird as vulnerable. This means it is at risk of becoming endangered. There are likely only about 2,500 to 9,999 adult birds left.
Threats to Its Home
The biggest danger to the little slaty flycatcher is the loss of its forest home. Many lowland forests on the islands where it lives are being cut down. Most of the remaining lowland forests are not protected. This makes them open to both legal and Illegal logging. Forests are also being cleared to make farms using Slash-and-burn methods. Mining also destroys their habitat.
Protected Areas
Some areas where this bird lives are protected. These include Pasonanca Natural Park, Mount Apo National Park, and Mt. Hilong-hilon National Park. However, even in these protected places, rules against logging are not always strongly enforced.
