Cebu’s siloys no longer endangered
The black shama, or locally known as siloy, is an endemic species of birds in Cebu. | Forest Jarvis via Wikimedia Commons
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Exciting news for Cebu’s wildlife!
Black shamas, or locally known as siloys, are no longer endangered, the latest research from conservation experts showed.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has upgraded the population count of the black shama from Endangered to Least Concerned, the Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. announced.
This meant that sightings of these small and elusive birds have increased in the past years.
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Database from BirdLife, a coalition of non-profit organizations dedicated to bird conservation, indicated that the population of siloys is greater than previously estimated.
“This species was once classified as threatened, but recent studies reveal a larger population size and its adaptability to modified habitats,” BirdLife reported.
Population count
The black shama, with scientific name Copsychus cebuensis, is a species of birds endemic to Cebu.
They usually reside in lowland forests.
Siloys have feathers that sport a mix of black and dark blue.
They are small birds, and can only grow by up to 20 centimeters in height – or half the size of a bowling pin.
Due to continuous destruction and loss of its natural habitats, the IUCN listed siloys as Endangered since 2008.
The IUCN Red List is a global system that evaluates the risk of extinction among species, classifying them into categories such as Extinct, Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable based on their population size, habitat range, and threats.
In 2016, the population of siloys was approximately 3,300.
But six years later, in 2022, BirdLife, citing calculations by scientists and conservationists, reported the number of mature individuals to be between 10,000 and 16,500.
The largest population of siloys was reported along the Alcoy-Boljoon corridor in southeast Cebu, at 10,470 or 349 siloy birds for every square kilometer.
It was followed by Argao with 711; and Dalaguete with 325.
BirdLife also confirmed presence of siloys in central Cebu, particularly within the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL) with an estimated population of 219; and Catmon with 114.
The group described the siloys’ latest population as ‘stable with the possibility of growth’, pointing to recent surveys that identified new areas where the species have been spotted.
To help preserve black shamas, BirdLife recommended stakeholders to continually monitor their population using remote sensing data and habitat trends.
They also stressed the importance of keeping lowland forests in Cebu as protected areas in ensuring the birds can thrive.
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