Rufous paradise flycatcher

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

Rufous paradise flycatcher
A male ssp. unirufa in Luzon
A male of the nominate subspecies in Camiguin
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
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

The rufous paradise flycatcher is rufous with a blue bill and a blue eye-ring. Northern males have extended central tail feathers. Females and southern males have a paler belly. Its call is a repetitive series of upslurred whistled notes or a shorter, nasal grating call, "greet grr-grr," with the first note upslurred".^[2]

Taxonomy

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

The rufous paradise flycatcher 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 thought 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 three eggs but average clutch size is not yet known.^[4]

Distribution and habitat

The rufous paradise flycatcher occurs in multiple protected areas such as Pasonanca Natural Park, Kalbario–Patapat Natural Park, Samar Island Natural Park in the Philippines.^[1] It inhabits primary and secondary forest up to an elevation of 1,200 m (3,900 ft).^{[citation needed]}

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.^[1]