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 Phoebe Snetsinger (née Burnett; June 9, 1931 – November 23, 1999) was an American birder famous for having seen and documented birds of 8,398 different species, at the time, more than anyone else in history and the first person to see more than ...

before her 1999 death in Madagascar.

Description

Like many of the vangas, this species is sexually dimorphic; 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 feathers (''Pennae volatus'') are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired pennaceous feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (), singular remex (), while those on the tail ...

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 Vulnerable by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

, based on its low population numbers and very small range.

References

red-shouldered vanga red-shouldered vanga {{Vangidae-stub