Justification This species qualifies as Vulnerable because its small population is likely to be declining owing to the destruction and degradation of its forest habitat. This decline is likely to become rapid over the next ten years.

Family/Sub-family Brachypteraciidae

Species name author (Lesson, 1833)

Taxonomic source(s) Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Identification 38 cm. Thickset, arboreal bird with large head and strong bill. Upperparts mid green-brown, with purple iridescence on rear crown and nape, and fine white tips to wing-coverts. Pale supercilium is short, steeply curved. Tail is fairly long, with white tips to the outer feathers. Underparts are paler, with brown throat and ear-coverts overlain with white spots, below which is a wide, white crescentic breast-band. Lower breast and belly are barred darker brown. Similar spp. Combination of purple nape, solid dark grey bill, white breast-band and white-tipped tail eliminate White-browed Owl Ninox superciliaris, the only bird which remotely resembles this species. Voice Call is a long series of bop notes, often given in early morning or evening, at a rate of about one a second. Hints Perches for long periods almost immobile.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

2,500-9,999

decreasing

39,200 km²

Yes

Range & population Brachypteracias leptosomus is fairly common within its restricted habitat of low- and mid-altitude primary forests in eastern Madagascar, from Daraina forest in the north to Andohahela in the south³. It is the most localised of the rainforest ground-rollers³.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: This secretive species is found solely in undisturbed, primary rainforest⁶. At the upper part of its altitudinal range it occurs only where trees are large^1,5. It prefers forest with dark, humid areas, a moderate ground cover of herbaceous, mossy vegetation, and deep leaf-litter⁶. The least terrestrial of the rainforest ground-roller species, it spends much time perched 2-15 m above ground on horizontal branches, searching for prey^1,3. It feeds on invertebrates (90%), often terrestrial, and also small vertebrates (10%)^3,6. It nests in tree cavities and the root masses of epiphytes, often around 20 m above the ground⁶. The home range of one pair was 19 ha⁶, occurring at 5-200 m; pairs occupied contiguous territories in this undisturbed habitat⁶. The species appears able to re-nest rapidly after natural nest failure⁶.

Threats The principal threat to its forest habitat is from slash-and-burn cultivation by subsistence farmers, which results in progressively more degraded regrowth and leads eventually to bracken-covered areas or grassland⁴. Much of the forest on the eastern coastal plain has either already been cleared or is highly degraded², remaining habitat is under pressure from the increasing human population² and commercial logging is an additional threat in some areas⁵. If present trends continue, the remaining unprotected forest, especially at the lower altitudes preferred by this species, will disappear within decades⁴. The species is also hunted⁵.

Conservation measures underway The species occurs in 23 Important Bird Areas (77% of the total in eastern Malagasy forest) and is found in nine National Parks, two Strict Reserves, three Special Reserves and six Classified Forests⁵.

Conservation measures proposed Carry out surveys in order to estimate the population size. Compare survey data collected from protected and unprotected areas⁷. Conduct regular surveys to monitor population trends. Monitor rates of habitat loss and degradation. Improve the management of the eastern humid forests, especially the control of fires used in slash-and-burn cultivation. Pursue further ecological studies to determine its home-range size and its dispersal capability across deforested areas, in order to clarify the impact of forest fragmentation on its population structure. Conduct research into the level of hunting pressure on the species.

References Collar and Stuart (1985). 1. Evans et al. (1992). 2. Jenkins (1987). 3. Langrand (1990). 4. Stattersfield et al. (1998). 5. ZICOMA (1999). 6. Thorstrom and Lind (1999). 7. M. Rabenandrasana in litt. (2007).

Text account compilers Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Mike Evans (BirdLife International), Sue Shutes (BirdLife International), Malcolm Starkey (BirdLife International), Joe Taylor (BirdLife International)

Contributors Frank Hawkins (Conservation International), Marc Rabenandrasana (Asity: Ligue Malagache pour la Protec. des Oiseaux)

IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Joe Taylor (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Brachypteracias leptosomus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 10/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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