The southern dark newtonia (''Newtonia lavarambo'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

in the family Vangidae. It is endemic to the

montane forests Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

of southeastern

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

, from Andringitra south to

Tolagnaro Fort-Dauphin (Malagasy Tolagnaro or Taolagnaro) is a city (''commune urbaine'') on the southeast coast of Madagascar. It is the capital of the Anosy Region and of the Taolagnaro District. It has been a port of local importance since the early 1500 ...

. It was formerly considered a population of the dark newtonia (''N. amphichroa'') (now referred to as the

northern dark newtonia The northern dark newtonia (''Newtonia amphichroa'') is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is Endemism, endemic to northeastern Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It was formerly grouped w ...

), but was split from it in 2018 and classified as a distinct species after an analysis of physical and genetic differences from ''N. amphichroa'', most notably its longer tail. However, some authorities such as ''

The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World ''The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World'' is a book by Jim Clements which presents a list of the bird species of the world. The most recent printed version is the sixth edition (2007), but has been updated yearly, the last version in 2022 ...

'' have supported tentatively classifying ''N. lavarambo'' as a subspecies of ''N. amphichroa'' rather than a distinct species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q85802406 southern dark newtonia southern dark newtonia Endemic birds of Madagascar