This species is listed as Vulnerable because continuing destruction of its habitat is causing a significant population decline which is projected to be rapid in the immediate future. If habitat is not lost as fast as projected, the species may warrant downlisting to Near Threatened.
del Hoyo, J.; Collar, N. J.; Christie, D. A.; Elliott, A.; Fishpool, L. D. C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International.
32 cm. Strange, long-legged, rail-like terrestrial bird. Brownish-grey on back and crown, with long, dark-bordered, whitish supercilium and long, decurved blackish bill. Tail is rather long and full, legs are fairly long and pinkish. Males are whitish below, marked with black crescents, while females are variably mottled rufous-brown and black. Similar spp. From terrestrial couas Coua by long, decurved bill, pale supercilium, and either largely reddish (female) or mottled whitish (male) breast. Voice Loud, communal song. Call when disturbed is nak! nak! Hints Occurs in groups in spiny, subdesert forest.
Collar, N. J.; Stuart, S. N. 1985. Threatened birds of Africa and related islands: the ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book. International Council for Bird Preservation, and International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Cambridge, U.K.
Du Puy, D. J.; Moat, J. 1996. A refined classification of the primary vegetation of Madagascar based on the underlying geology: using GIS to map its distribution and to assess its conservation status. In: LourenÃ§o, W.R. (ed.), Proceedings of the International Symposium on the biogeography of Madagascar, pp. 205-218. ORSTOM, Paris.
Langrand, O. 1990. Guide to the birds of Madagascar. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
Morris, P.; Hawkins, F. 1998. Birds of Madagascar: a photographic guide. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK.
Seddon, N. 2001. The ecology, communication and conservation of the Subdesert Mesite Monias benschi. dissertation. Ph.D., University of Cambridge.
Seddon, N.; Tobias, J. A.; Butchart, S. H. M. 2003. Group living, breeding behaviour and territoriality in the Subdesert Mesite Monias benschi. Ibis 145: 277-294.
Seddon, N.; Tobias, J.; Yount, J. W.; Ramanampamonjy, J. R.; Butchart, S.; Randrianizahana, H. 2000. Conservation issues and priorities in the Mikea forest of southwest Madagascar. Oryx 34: 287-304.
Tobias, J. A.; Seddon, N. 2002. Estimating population size in the subdesert mesite (Monias benschi): new methods and implications for conservation. Biological Conservation 108: 199-212.
Further web sources of information
Explore HBW Alive for further information on this species
Text account compilers
Ekstrom, J., Evans, M., Shutes, S., Starkey, M., Symes, A., Taylor, J.
Hawkins, F., Langrand, O., Seddon, N., Tobias, J.
IUCN Red List evaluators
Butchart, S., Taylor, J.
BirdLife International (2015) Species factsheet: Monias benschi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 02/07/2015. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2015) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 02/07/2015.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
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Additional resources for this species
|Current IUCN Red List category||Vulnerable|
|Species name author||Oustalet & Grandidier, 1903|
|Population size||mature individuals|
|Distribution size (breeding/resident)||12,400 km2|
|Links to further information|
|- Additional Information on this species|