Red-shouldered Vanga
Encyclopedia
The Red-shouldered Vanga (Calicalicus rufocarpalis) is a member of the vanga
family endemic to south-west Madagascar
.
This species is notable for being the last species viewed by internationally renowned bird watcher Phoebe Snetsinger
before her 1999 death in Madagascar.
; the male is the more colorful of the two. He has a pale gray crown, nape and mantle, with white on the ear coverts and forehead. Other than a black bib, which extends from the beak partway down the breast and up the sides of his neck, his underparts are principally whitish, tinged with pink on the breast and flanks. His flight feather
s are brown, his wing coverts are brick-red, and his tail is a pale brick-red. His beak is black, his irides are yellow, and his legs and feet are pinkish-gray.
by the IUCN, based on its low population numbers and very small range.
Vanga
The vangas are a group of little-known small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to Madagascar and the Comoros. They are usually classified as the family Vangidae. There are about 22 species, depending on taxonomy...
family endemic to south-west Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
.
This species is notable for being the last species viewed by internationally renowned bird watcher Phoebe Snetsinger
Phoebe Snetsinger
Phoebe Snetsinger, née Burnett , a resident of Webster Groves, Missouri, was a birder famous for having seen over 8,400 species by the time of her death. The daughter of advertising magnate Leo Burnett, she inherited a small fortune, which she used to fund numerous trips in pursuit of her hobby...
before her 1999 death in Madagascar.
Description
Like many of the vangas, this species is sexually dimorphicSexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
; the male is the more colorful of the two. He has a pale gray crown, nape and mantle, with white on the ear coverts and forehead. Other than a black bib, which extends from the beak partway down the breast and up the sides of his neck, his underparts are principally whitish, tinged with pink on the breast and flanks. His flight feather
Flight feather
Flight feathers are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges while those on the tail are called rectrices . Their primary function is to aid in the generation of both thrust and lift, thereby...
s are brown, his wing coverts are brick-red, and his tail is a pale brick-red. His beak is black, his irides are yellow, and his legs and feet are pinkish-gray.
Conservation and threats
The species has been rated as VulnerableVulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
by the IUCN, based on its low population numbers and very small range.