Species

Justification
This species is listed as Near Threatened because it probably has a moderately small range, which may be in decline owing to habitat loss and degradation. The range has recently been remapped and may be larger than previously thought; confirmation of this may make the species eligible for downlisting.

Taxonomic source(s)
Dowsett, R. J.; Forbes-Watson, A. D. 1993. Checklist of birds of the Afrotropical and Malagasy regions. Tauraco Press, Li
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.

Distribution and population
Terpsiphone bedfordi is endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo where it occurs as two disjunct populations, one in north-east Ituri and the other west of Itombwe (Urban et al. 1997). Further studies may reveal this species to be conspecific with Red-bellied Paradise-flycatcher T. rufiventer (Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire 1993); the two are known to hybridise wherever they meet (Prigogine 1980), although they may differ ecologically (del Hoyo et al. 2006).

Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as rare to frequent in two disjunct areas in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (del Hoyo et al. 2006).

Trend justification
The population is suspected to be in decline owing to habitat loss and degradation, however the rate of decline has not been quantified.

Ecology
The species occurs in lowland and transitional forest at altitudes of 980-1,500 m and exceptionally in montane forest up to 1,800 m. It prefers primary evergreen forest where it is rare to frequent and is occasionally found in deciduous forest (Urban et al. 1997). It feeds on a variety of insects, including bugs, moths and grasshoppers, often foraging in the lower understorey, and avoiding the upper storey and canopy, unlike T. rufiventer (del Hoyo et al. 2006). In Itombwe, the species breeds throughout the year. It is monogamous and territorial. One nest has been described for this species, in which two eggs had been laid. It was a deep, well-made open cup of moss, lined with fine grasses (del Hoyo et al. 2006).

Threats
The consequences of recent warfare within its range is likely to have increased the rate of deforestation (Kanyamibwa 1995), principally due to clearance for shifting cultivation. This and its apparent inability to survive in secondary forest put it at long-term risk.

Conservation actions underway
No targeted conservation action is known for this species.

Conservation actions proposed
Conduct surveys to assess the population size. Monitor population trends through regular surveys. Monitor rates of habitat loss and degradation within its range. Protect areas of suitable habitat.

References
Prigogine, A. 1980. The altitudinal distribution of the avifauna in the Itombwe Forest (Zaire). In: Johnson, D.N. (ed.), Proceedings of the Fourth Pan-African Ornithological Congress, pp. 169-184. Southern African Ornithological Society, Johannesburg.

Collar, N. J.; Stuart, S. N. 1985. Threatened birds of Africa and related islands: the ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book. International Council for Bird Preservation, and International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Cambridge, U.K.

Dowsett, R. J.; Dowsett-Lemaire, F. 1993. Comments on the taxonomy of some Afrotropical bird species. In: Dowsett, R.J.; Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (ed.), A contribution to the distribution and taxonomy of Afrotropical and Malagasy birds, pp. 323-389. Tauraco Press, Liège, Belgium.

Kanyamibwa, S. 1995. Viewpoint: war and conservation. World Birdwatch 17: 24.

Urban, E. K.; Fry, C. H.; Keith, S. 1997. The birds of Africa vol. V. Academic Press, London.

del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Christie, D. 2006. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Further web sources of information
View photos and videos, and hear sounds of this species from the Internet Bird Collection

Text account compilers
O'Brien, A., Robertson, P., Symes, A., Taylor, J.

IUCN Red List evaluators
Butchart, S., Taylor, J.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Terpsiphone bedfordi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.

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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