White-browed Shama
Also known as: Copsychus luzoniensis (binomial name) · Luzon shama
Definition
The white-browed shama (Copsychus luzoniensis) is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, endemic to the Philippines. It inhabits tropical moist lowland forest on Luzon and nearby islands, where its loud, melodious song is often the first clue to its presence in the dim understory. (Wikipedia)
Identities
| Source Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | White-browed shama |
| Wikidata | Q1589113 |
| DBpedia | White-browed_shama |
| ProductOntology | N/A |
| Wiktionary | N/A |
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) | N/A |
| MeSH | N/A |
| NCBI Taxonomy | Copsychus luzoniensis (taxid: 512571) |
| AGROVOC | N/A |
| Google Scholar | Copsychus luzoniensis white-browed shama Luzon endemic forest Philippines |
| ConceptNet | N/A |
| OpenCyc | N/A |
Also Known As
- Copsychus luzoniensis (binomial name)
- Luzon shama
Examples and Analogies
- Forest soloist: The shama’s rich whistled phrases echo through Luzon’s lowland forest much like a kundiman drifting through a quiet barrio, heard far more often than the singer is seen.
- Understory ghost: With dark plumage and a habit of perching motionless in shade, it behaves like a shadow that sings, rewarding patient observers with brief views.
Usage Scenarios
1. Birdwatching by Ear
Guides locate the species by its song at dawn and then scan shady perches, a standard technique on Luzon birding itineraries.
2. Bioacoustic Research
Its conspicuous vocalizations make it a convenient subject for studies of song variation among Philippine island birds.
Strategies
- Visits to protected lowland forests such as national parks on Luzon offer the best chances of encounters.
- Quiet, slow walks along forest trails in the early morning minimize disturbance and maximize detections.
Security and Safety Measures
- Protected under Philippine wildlife law, which bans capture and trade of wild shamas.
- Its welfare is tied to retention of lowland forest cover, the most threatened forest type in the country.
Historical Context
The white-browed shama was described to science in the nineteenth century as ornithologists worked through collections from the Philippine archipelago, its scientific name recording its Luzon homeland. Together with the Cebu black shama and other island relatives, it illustrates how the Philippines’ isolated islands generated distinct songbird forms from shared ancestry. (Wikipedia)
Challenges and Controversies
Lowland Deforestation
Conversion of Luzon’s lowland forests to farms and settlements has sharply reduced suitable habitat.
Cage-Bird Trade Pressure
Shamas are prized songsters elsewhere in Southeast Asia, and trapping pressure remains a threat wherever enforcement is weak.
Related Topic
Luzon