Newton's Fiscal
CR

Newton's Fiscal

Lanius newtoni

Declining

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_fiscal

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Newton's Fiscal faces severe threats from habitat destruction as São Tomé's native forests are cleared for agriculture and human settlement. The species' extremely small population makes it vulnerable to stochastic events, while introduced predators and competitors further pressure the remaining individuals. Climate change poses an additional long-term threat to this montane forest specialist.

Threat summary

Habitat

Newton's Fiscal inhabits the remaining primary and secondary montane forests of São Tomé Island, typically found at elevations above 1,000 meters. The species prefers dense forest canopy and forest edges where it hunts insects and small vertebrates from exposed perches.

Forest· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies managementSpecies recoveryAwareness & communicationsLegislationLinked enterprises & livelihood alternatives

Other threatened species in LANIIDAE

VU

Iberian Grey Shrike

Lanius meridionalis

Declining

Threatened in São Tomé & Príncipe

VU

Giant Sunbird

Dreptes thomensis

Declining
EN

Diaphananthe thomensis

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EN

Diaphananthe vagans

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EN

Cribbia pendula

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Newton's Fiscal classified as Critically Endangered?
Newton's Fiscal is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Newton's Fiscal faces severe threats from habitat destruction as São Tomé's native forests are cleared for agriculture and human settlement. The species' extremely small population makes it vulnerable to stochastic events, while introduced predators and competitors further pressure the remaining individuals. Climate change poses an additional long-term threat to this montane forest specialist.
Where does Newton's Fiscal live?
Newton's Fiscal occurs in São Tomé & Príncipe. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Newton's Fiscal?
The main threats to Newton's Fiscal are 2.1, 5.4, 8.1, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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