Rufous paradise flycatcher

The rufous paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone cinnamomea) is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is found in Indonesia and the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.

Rufous paradise flycatcher
A male ssp. unirufa in Luzon
A female ssp. talautensis in Sulawesi
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Monarchidae
Genus:	Terpsiphone
Species:	T. cinnamomea
Binomial name
Terpsiphone cinnamomea (Sharpe, 1877)
Subspecies
See text
Synonyms
Zeocephus cinnamomeus

Description and taxonomy

EBird describes the bird as " A medium-sized, long-tailed bird of lowland and foothill forest. Overall rufous in color with a blue bill and a blue eye-ring that is broader in males. Races differ. Northern males have especially extended central tail feathers. Female and southern males have a paler belly. Somewhat similar to Cinnamon Ibon, but found at lower elevations, with a longer tail and a blue eye-ring. Gives a repetitive series of upslurred whistled notes or a shorter, nasal grating call, “greet grr-grr,” with the first note upslurred".^[2]

Alternate names for the rufous paradise flycatcher include the cinnamon paradise flycatcher.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized:^[3]

• Northern paradise-flycatcher (T. c. unirufa) - Salomonsen, 1937: Originally described as a separate species. Found in the northern Philippines
• T. c. cinnamomea - (Sharpe, 1877): Found in the southern Philippines
• Talaud paradise-flycatcher (T. c. talautensis) - (Meyer, AB & Wiglesworth, 1894): Originally described as a separate species. Found on the Talaud Islands (far northern Indonesia)

Ecology and behavior

Forages in the understory for insects and often joins mixed-species flocks that includ Celestial monarch, Short-crested monarch Blue-headed fantail, Golden-crowned babbler, Lemon-throated leaf warbler, Black-crowned babbler, and other small birds. Breeding season believed to be April to July. Nest is a neat cup made out of plant fibers and then covered with moss and lichens. One nest was discovered to contain 3 eggs but average clutch size is not yet known.^[4]

Habitat and conservation status

This species habitat is primary and secondary forest up to 1,200 meters above sea level.

IUCN has assessed both the Northern and Southern rufous paradise flycatchers as least-concern species. It is generally uncommon. While not threatened, deforestation in the Philippines continues throughout the country due to slash and burn farming, mining, illegal logging and habitat conversion.^[5][6]

It is found in multiple protected areas such as Pasonanca Natural Park, Kalbario–Patapat Natural Park, Samar Island Natural Park but like all areas in the Philippines, protection is lax and deforestation continues despite this protection on paper.^[5]