Justification This species is classified as Vulnerable on the basis of suspected continuing declines in both its small population and its small range, owing to the destruction and severe fragmentation of its lowland rainforest habitat, mainly as a result of subsistence agriculture.

Family/Sub-family Vangidae

Species name author Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838

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

Identification 23 cm. Medium-sized vanga. Male is glossy black all over, with a white iris and a striking, pale blue bill. Female is bright rufescent, with narrow black barring all over. Similar spp. Female is unmistakable. Male could possibly be confused with Crested Drongo Dicrurus forficatus but has pale iris and bill, and completely different behaviour. Voice Loud call, schrip-schrip-schrip, is characteristic.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

2,500-9,999

decreasing

18,200 km²

Yes

Range & population Oriolia bernieri is known from many sites between Marojejy in the north and Zahamena in the centre-east of Madagascar (although there is a single, as yet unconfirmed, record from Vondrozo). It is scarce and patchily distributed throughout its range.

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

Ecology: This species is restricted to undisturbed, primary tracts of humid evergreen forest. Studies in 1988 in Marojejy found it to be remarkably localised, but fairly common in the south-west area of the reserve². It is found either in isolated pairs or in mixed-species flocks made up principally of vangas⁴. It forages by searching the leaves, and rooting around in the leaf-bases, of pandanus Pandanus, ravenala Ravenala madagascariensis and palms, also levering rotten bark and moss off large tree-branches with its wedge-like bill, in search of large invertebrates, e.g. beetles, crickets and spiders^2,4.

Threats The principal threat to primary, lowland rainforest is posed by subsistence slash-and-burn cultivation, which results in progressively more degraded regrowth and leads eventually to bracken-covered areas or grassland¹. Much of the eastern coastal plain has either already been cleared or is covered by highly degraded forest³, remaining habitat is under pressure from the increasing human population³, and commercial logging is an additional threat in some areas⁶. If present trends continue, the remaining forest (especially at lower altitudes) will disappear within decades¹.

Conservation measures underway The species is known from Ambatovaky Special Reserve, Anjanaharibe Classified Forest, Anjanaharibe-South Special Reserve, Betampona Strict Reserve, Bezavona Classified Forest, Haute Rantabe Classified Forest, Mangerivola Special Reserve, Marojejy National Park, Masoala National Park and Zahamena National Park⁶. The three National Parks are particularly important for this species as they still contain significant areas of suitable habitat^5,6.

Conservation measures proposed Verify presence in lowland forests around Vondrozo and further south, including Midongy-South National Park. Conduct surveys in order to assess the population size. Once a baseline population estimate has been obtained, continue to carry out surveys to monitor population trends. Monitor the clearance and degradation of forest within the species's range. Improve awareness of conservation and the implications of widespread forest loss among local people.

References 1. Du Puy and Moat (1996). 2. Evans et al. (1992). 3. Jenkins (1987). 4. Langrand (1990). 5. Thorstrom and Watson (1997). 6. ZICOMA (1999).

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)

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Oriolia bernieri. 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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