Sierra Leone Prinia Schistolais leontica Scientific name definitions

Locally in highlands of Guinea (Dalaba, Pic de Fon, Pic de Tibé, Mt Tétini), NE Sierra Leone (Loma Mts, Tingi Hills), N Liberia (Mt Nimba, Kitoma Mts, Bele) and W Ivory Coast (Man, Sipilou and possibly Mt Nimba).

ENDANGERED. Restricted-range species: present in Upper Guinea Forests EBA. Believed to be scarce and uncommon, with estimated population in the range 1000–2500 mature individuals, with fewer than 250 per subpopulation BirdLife International (2018) Species factsheet: Schistolais leontica. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/01/2018. . Recent discoveries in W Guinea (near Dalaba), W of its main range, suggest that this species may be more widespread and more numerous than was originally thought. However, a total of just 26 pairs/family groups estimated at Pic de Fon in 2009 BirdLife International (2018) Species factsheet: Schistolais leontica. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/01/2018. , while only 5 pairs/small family groups were found on surveys of E Nimba, Liberia in 2011, suggesting that the subpopulation there may comprise little more than mature individuals BirdLife International (2018) Species factsheet: Schistolais leontica. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/01/2018. . The most severe and urgent threat is iron ore mining, with the two sites that retain the largest area of remaining habitat (Pic de Fon and Mt Nimba) under imminent threat BirdLife International (2018) Species factsheet: Schistolais leontica. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/01/2018. . Shifting cultivation, small scale logging and overgrazing by cattle are further threats.