The São Tomé shorttail, also known as Bocage's longbill, is a species of passerine bird in the family Motacillidae. It has been classified as the sole member of the genus Amaurocichla, but a 2015 phylogenetic study placed it among the wagtails in the genus Motacilla. It is endemic to the central and southern parts of the island of São Tomé. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. This species has a small population and is threatened by habitat loss.
Region
Gulf of Guinea (São Tomé Island)
Typical Environment
Confined to primary and mature secondary lowland to foothill rainforest in central and southern São Tomé. It favors dense understory near perennial streams, ravines, and swampy bottoms with abundant leaf litter. It avoids open farmland and coastal scrub, but can persist locally in well-shaded secondary growth if the ground layer remains intact. Habitat is fragmented due to agriculture (cocoa, oil palm) and smallholder clearing.
Altitude Range
0–1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called Bocage's longbill, this species was formerly placed in its own genus Amaurocichla but genetic work shows it is a forest-adapted wagtail. Unusually for wagtails, it has a short tail and skulks in dense rainforest understory along streams. It is confined to São Tomé and threatened by ongoing loss and fragmentation of lowland forest. Conservation focuses on protecting remaining primary forest within and around Obô Natural Park.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low through the understory
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, maintaining small territories along shaded streams. Breeding likely coincides with the wet season; nests are placed low in dense vegetation or among roots and banks. Both adults are thought to attend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A quiet series of thin, high-pitched seep notes with short, subdued trills. Often delivered from dense cover near the ground and easily overlooked amid rainforest sounds.
Plumage
Dusky olive-brown upperparts with slightly paler brown underparts and a whitish throat; subtle mottling and a short, rounded tail. Feathers appear soft and plain, aiding camouflage in deep shade.
Diet
Primarily small insects and other arthropods, including beetles, ants, termites, flies, and spiders. Gleans from leaf litter, probes soft soil and moss, and picks prey from rotting wood and stream margins. Occasionally takes small snails or other invertebrates.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the dark, damp forest floor in dense understory, especially along shaded streams, gullies, and root tangles. Often works around fallen logs and leaf-litter accumulations.
