Samoan Flycatcher Myiagra albiventris Scientific name definitions

13–15 cm. Male is glossy blue-black above, with dark back and rump glossed greenish, upperwing and tail black; intense rufous-chestnut throat and breast, white belly to vent; iris dark; bill black; legs grey to blackish. Female is rather similar to male, but is slightly paler and greyer above, and with paler and less extensive rufous throat colour. Immature is similar to female but generally duller.

Samoa: Savaii, Upolu and Nu’utule.

Mature native forest and forest edge in lowlands and mountains; primarily in lowlands, preferring shrubby forest with many young trees. Reported also from cultivated lands, mangrove edge, and along roads.

Sedentary.

Insectivorous. Forages alone or in pairs, mainly in lower levels and lower canopy; usually found perched upright in the open. Sallies to take insects from undersides of leaves; also catches them in direct flight.

Song is a quiet plaintive “see-see-see-see-see-see-see ” series; call is a whistled “fee-oo-eet” or “tsweet tsweet” and a buzzy low-pitched “bzerr-it”, the two often alternating.

Begging juvenile seen in mid-Jul. Nest described as thin-walled and flimsy, made of plants stems with some interwoven moss and apparently cotton, 1·5–4·5 m up in horizontal fork. Clutch 2 eggs, white with dark olive-brown and light and dark grey spots all over, 18 × 14 mm. No further information.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Samoan Islands EBA. Formerly widespread on Savai’i and Upolu , where once regarded as common. In 1990–1991, two cyclones severely damaged the forest habitat, reducing canopy cover from 100% to 27%. A severe decline in this species’ numbers followed, it became uncommon, and was listed as Vulnerable during 1994–2011. Appears to have recovered and now considered to be common and widespread (1 Butler, D. (2012). Report on the birds of Upland Savai’i. Pp. 85-109 in:. Close , 2 Parrish, R. and Sherley, G.H. (2012). Birds of the Aleipata Islands, Samoa. Notornis. 59(3-4): 153-162. Close , 3 Pratt, H. D., and J. C. Mittermeier (2016). Notes on the natural history, taxonomy, and conservation of the endemic avifauna of the Samoan archipelago. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 128(2):217–241. Close ). Population roughly estimated at 2500–10,000 birds BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Myiagra albiventris. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 05/07/2016. . At risk from deforestation caused by agriculture and from the introduction of highly invasive non-native trees, the spread of which is aided by cyclones, and which reduce forest diversity. Adapts well to habitat disturbance; in 2005–2006, common in mangroves and degraded areas around villages and plantations (3 Pratt, H. D., and J. C. Mittermeier (2016). Notes on the natural history, taxonomy, and conservation of the endemic avifauna of the Samoan archipelago. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 128(2):217–241. Close ). Recorded from the proposed conservation areas on Upolu at Sataoa-Sa’anapu and Uafoto. Research is needed in order to identify sites still with significant areas of native forest and their optimum size, so as to ensure the species’ long-term viability. Small islet of Nu’utule seems to have greatest amount of remaining native forest and is the only offshore island where this monarchid remains.