6 thoughts on “Guayaquil Woodpecker (Campephilus gayaquilensis): Revise global status?”
I am writing because no one else has given any feedback. All species deserve someone to speak up for them.
I only know the area where I’ve lived in Manabi Province/Ecuador and my own personal observations and hypotheses. There are two threats to all species – and that is the ongoing deforestation and fragmentation as well as unregulated pesticide/herbicide use. Most any weekend there are big trucks hauling away large trees, and almost every outing – now that the rainy season has arrived – the aroma of pesticide reaches me before I see the recently-treated areas. ‘Nuked’ tracts of pasture or recently cleared areas prepared via ‘burn down’ before they plant. Fried landscape thanks to glifosato. The application of 2,4-D type pesticides for pasture, rice, corn is equally concerning, and the curling broadleaves confirm that an area has been recently treated. Sometimes the aromas are windborne, perhaps not affecting an area visually, but leaving subtle traces via drift and inversion from heat.
What I am seeing is disturbing, but what I’m not seeing is equally disturbing. Where are the balsa trees, the cecropias, the bees, and even the hummingbirds and euphonias in many areas? Maybe the lack of seed dispersers plays a role, but there are large tracts of land that are basically desnuded for kilometers and kilometers – and now in mass plantings of dragon fruit or other crops. The area around Tosagua – via Bahia de Caraquez, via Chone, via Rocafuerte, via Calceta is a good example:
I recommend caution for rolling back the status of any species unless on-ground studies have been made by people more qualified than I. The Guayaquil Woodpecker population appears healthy at Poza Honda, though in many other locations where I bird — nada.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested by so many people in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 21 February 2022. We will now analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’s Red List status on this page on 21 February 2022, when discussions will re-open.
It is recognised that habitat loss and degradation represent a threat to this species and are causing a population reduction. There is however currently no evidence to suggest that these reductions meet or approach the threshold for a listing as threatened. Therefore, based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2022.1 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 27 February 2022, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2022.1 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in July 2022, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Although the species may be found in secondary and edge habitats, in my experience, those areas are usually connected with at least fragments of well-preserved nearby forest. Densities in secondary and edge habitats are lower than in well-preserved forests. In several localities in western Ecuador, the species is hunted and consumed.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested by so many people in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 7 March 2022.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
Following comments received on the Forum, it is recognised that forest degradation and hunting pose additional threats to the species, so that the rate of population decline may exceed that of forest loss. While a direct quantification of the population trend is lacking, declines are precautionarily placed in the band 10-19% over three generations, and the species account has been updated to reflect the new information. The species’ Red List assessment however remains unaffected by this information, and thus the final categorisation has not changed. Guayaquil Woodpecker is recommended to be listed as Least Concern.
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2022.1 GTB Forum process. The final 2022.1 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in July 2022, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
I am writing because no one else has given any feedback. All species deserve someone to speak up for them.
I only know the area where I’ve lived in Manabi Province/Ecuador and my own personal observations and hypotheses. There are two threats to all species – and that is the ongoing deforestation and fragmentation as well as unregulated pesticide/herbicide use. Most any weekend there are big trucks hauling away large trees, and almost every outing – now that the rainy season has arrived – the aroma of pesticide reaches me before I see the recently-treated areas. ‘Nuked’ tracts of pasture or recently cleared areas prepared via ‘burn down’ before they plant. Fried landscape thanks to glifosato. The application of 2,4-D type pesticides for pasture, rice, corn is equally concerning, and the curling broadleaves confirm that an area has been recently treated. Sometimes the aromas are windborne, perhaps not affecting an area visually, but leaving subtle traces via drift and inversion from heat.
What I am seeing is disturbing, but what I’m not seeing is equally disturbing. Where are the balsa trees, the cecropias, the bees, and even the hummingbirds and euphonias in many areas? Maybe the lack of seed dispersers plays a role, but there are large tracts of land that are basically desnuded for kilometers and kilometers – and now in mass plantings of dragon fruit or other crops. The area around Tosagua – via Bahia de Caraquez, via Chone, via Rocafuerte, via Calceta is a good example:
https://www.google.com.ec/maps/@-0.7659299,-80.2831944,12177m/data=!3m1!1e3
I recommend caution for rolling back the status of any species unless on-ground studies have been made by people more qualified than I. The Guayaquil Woodpecker population appears healthy at Poza Honda, though in many other locations where I bird — nada.
Thank you for what you do for the birds.
Lisa
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested by so many people in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 21 February 2022. We will now analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’s Red List status on this page on 21 February 2022, when discussions will re-open.
Preliminary proposal
It is recognised that habitat loss and degradation represent a threat to this species and are causing a population reduction. There is however currently no evidence to suggest that these reductions meet or approach the threshold for a listing as threatened. Therefore, based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2022.1 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 27 February 2022, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2022.1 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in July 2022, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Although the species may be found in secondary and edge habitats, in my experience, those areas are usually connected with at least fragments of well-preserved nearby forest. Densities in secondary and edge habitats are lower than in well-preserved forests. In several localities in western Ecuador, the species is hunted and consumed.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested by so many people in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 7 March 2022.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
Following comments received on the Forum, it is recognised that forest degradation and hunting pose additional threats to the species, so that the rate of population decline may exceed that of forest loss. While a direct quantification of the population trend is lacking, declines are precautionarily placed in the band 10-19% over three generations, and the species account has been updated to reflect the new information. The species’ Red List assessment however remains unaffected by this information, and thus the final categorisation has not changed. Guayaquil Woodpecker is recommended to be listed as Least Concern.
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2022.1 GTB Forum process. The final 2022.1 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in July 2022, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.