The São Tomé fiscal (''Lanius newtoni''), or Newton's fiscal, is a species of bird in the family

Laniidae Shrikes () are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of 34 species in two genera. The family name, and that of the larger genus, ''Lanius'', is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes are also known ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

São Tomé Island São Tomé Island, at , is the largest island of São Tomé and Príncipe and is home in May 2018 to about 193,380 or 96% of the nation's population. The island is divided into six districts of São Tomé and Príncipe, districts. It is located ...

São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two archipelagos around the two main isla ...

. It is 20 to 21 centimeters long. The bird is black above with a white shoulder-scapular bar. Newton's Fiscal Lanius newtoni
BirdLife International, Access date 19 October 2018 The São Tomé fiscal has a pale yellow chin, breast, belly, flanks vent and under tail. Its graduated tail has all black central tail feathers and an increasing amount of white on outer web from inner to outer tail feathers. The ''Lanius newtoni'' has a clear voice with a whistle ''tiuh tiuh'' often repeated and metallic ''tsink tsink'' audible over a long distance. The species lives on the island of São Tomé and is usually found under closed canopy. Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...

Status

The São Tomé fiscal is a very rare bird. There were records of sightings in 1888 and again in 1928. Another individual was sighted in 1990 near the source of the Rio Xufexufe, and a number of birds have been spotted since then. All sightings have been in primary forest with rocky areas but little undergrowth, sometimes on low ridges or beside watercourses, and always below . This type of habitat is decreasing as forests are cut to create coffee and cocoa plantations, and the building of new hydropower plants is another possible threat, even though it is a protected area ( Parque Natural Obô de São Tomé).Threats to the avifauna of São Tomé e Príncipe
Gulf of Guinea Biodiversity Network Ornithology, 29 April 2009 According to 2020 estimations, there are 50-249 mature individuals in the wild, it is considered to be a

critically endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...

bird by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

Threats

Historical Land Use and Forest Degradation

Historically, extensive areas of lowland and mid-altitude forests were cleared to make way for cocoa and coffee plantations. Although these plantations were subsequently abandoned, they left behind vast tracts of secondary forest. Unfortunately, this secondary forest is ill-suited for the São Tomé fiscal. Timber extraction, alongside the expansion and intensification of agriculture, pose further threats to the existing forested areas.

Predatory Threats

The presence of introduced species, including the

Black rat The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...

, Mona monkey,

African civet The African civet (''Civettictis civetta'') is a large viverrid native to sub-Saharan Africa, where it is considered common and widely distributed in woodlands and secondary forests. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008 ...

, and

Feral cat A feral cat or a stray cat is an unowned domestic cat (''Felis catus'') that lives outdoors and avoids human contact; it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Feral cats may breed over dozens ...

, raises concerns regarding potential predators that may impact the São Tomé fiscal's survival in its environment. These non-native species can threaten the bird's nests and overall well-being.

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Tome Fiscal Lanius Endemic birds of São Tomé and Príncipe Endemic fauna of São Tomé Island Critically endangered fauna of Africa Birds described in 1891 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot