Rubeho Akalat

Taxobox
name = Rubeho Akalat
status = EN
status_system = iucn3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Muscicapidae
genus = "Sheppardia"
species = "S. aurantiithorax"
binomial = "Sheppardia aurantiithorax"
binomial_authority = Beresford, Fjeldså, & Kiure, 2004

The Rubeho Akalat, "Sheppardia aurantiithorax", is a member of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapiidae), known from the Eastern Arc of Tanzania. Akalats trapped in 1989 here were assumed to be an isolated population of Iringa Akalat which occurs c. 150 km to the south, but further specimens collected in 2000 led to the description of the bird as a new species. The bird's English name relates to its type locality; the scientific name to the ochraceous colour on its throat and upper breast.

The species is thought to be fairly common in montane forests within its small range, but its very limited distribution has let to it being classified as Endangered species in the 2008 IUCN Red List [BLI (2008)] .

References

* (2004): A new species of akalat ("Sheppardia") narrowly endemic in the Eastern Arc of Tanzania "The Auk" 121: 23-24
* (2008b): [http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/global_species_programme/whats_new.html [2008 IUCN Redlist status changes] . Retrieved 2008-MAY-23.