I do not support the changes proposed here for quite the same reasons exposed in my comment on the New Caledonian Imperial-pigeon. Also this species suffer from a lack of dedicated studies (none specific, to my knowledge). In addition to a change its status in Least Concern, a change into Data Deficient might possibly help to ensure that it is better taken into account locally in the future and to initiate dedicated studies for a more informed assessment of its current status in New Caledonia.
Fabrice BRESCIA, PhD, Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien/ New-Caledonian Agronomic Institute (IAC)
We received the following contribution from Société Calédonienne d’Ornithologie:
Below are our remarks, which, unless otherwise specified, apply equally to both the Notou and the Cloven-feathered Dove :
About population size :
• Considering the Notou, the most recent studies are not being taken into account (see Jörn Theuerkauf’s comments), and new studies have just been initiated by Southern province.
• The studies considered in your project are outdated, with most of them conducted within a protected park where the population status does not reflect the condition of the general population facing pressures that do not exist within protected areas.
• You reference ebird 2024, whose data is very limited for New Caledonia and primarily based on observations by tourists in protected parks. For example, the SCO (with over 18,000 naturalist observations in 2023) does not use this tool.
• There is no additional evidence of the stability or progression of the species !
About Population trend :
This unfounded assertion fails to consider the evolving pressures on these species and the threats they pose to populations in the short term:
• Habitat loss : These species depend on primary rainforests. Recent studies highlight the regression of this favorable habitat, both in surface area and quality (species richness), due to human activities (fires, mining, agriculture) and invasive species, particularly the rusa deer, which destroys all forest regeneration. These studies confirm the observations of naturalists and local populations who frequent the forests and who also notice that the fruiting of trees, which are a primary food source for the Notou and the Cloven-feathered Dove, is less regular and abundant, likely due to climate change. This situation drives frugivorous species (pigeons, fruit bats, parrots) to leave the forest and approach inhabited areas and gardens in villages where they are increasingly observed, giving a false impression of abundance and further exposing them to hunter’s shots !
• Hunting and poaching : Regarding the Cloven-feathered Dove, there is no data on hunting, as the species is fully protected by laws, any catch result from poaching, which has never been studied. Concerning the Notou, data on hunting-related catch are scarce, and even scarcer for poaching. Furthermore, existing studies likely underestimate the real importance of catches because although the Notou is a popular game, its hunting remains a fairly secretive practice. A 2010 survey by the IAC on tribal agriculture in New Caledonia (results published in 2014 – see attached document) reveals that 20,000 Notous are hunted annually in the northern and southern provinces, along with 20,000 other game species, including Cloven-feathered Dove and Metallic Pigeon (species protected by regulations and prohibited from hunting at all times). The same study shows that some of this game is commercialized, which is illegal. The actual portion intended for commercialization is therefore likely greater. It is important to note that this study only covers activities within tribes and that hunting and poaching outside of tribes have not been studied. It is also important to note that at the time of this study, New Caledonia was experiencing a period of economic prosperity, allowing a large part of the rural population (including in tribes) to benefit from wage employment or economic activity, particularly in the North Province around the Voh mining complex. It should be noted that New Caledonia is currently experiencing an economic crisis, with an explosion in the unemployment rate (several thousand people laid off due to the suspension of the North factory), resulting in many people in rural areas returning to agriculture, hunting, and fishing for sustenance or subsistence income. The current economic situation inevitably leads to a significant increase in hunting pressure, as evidenced by statistics on hunting permits issued by the authorities of the northern and southern provinces, particularly during the legal Notou hunting period in April (see comments to this effect). It is logical to assume that illegal hunting (poaching) is also on the rise, like legal hunting or more.
For these various reasons, it seems prudent and reasonable to await the results of the new studies and rely on expert opinions before considering a revision of the status of these two species.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 3 May 2024. We will now analyse and interpret all information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 3 May 2024, when discussions will re-open.
Many thanks to all for the helpful comments received. It is suggested that habitat loss and degradation may have intensified during the last three-generation period (16.35 years). Remote sensing data (Global Forest Watch 2024) suggest that forest loss is ongoing at a slow rate within the range (2-3% within three generations), however this does not take into account additional impacts of degradation and this is plausibly driving slow declines. The species is also thought to be hunted rarely despite this being prohibited, though the impact of this has not been quantified. The population trend is therefore precautionarily changed to Decreasing, but this is only suspected and the rate has not been quantified. In the absence of evidence to suggest that hunting pressure is very high however, there are not enough grounds to suggest that the species has declined at a rate exceeding 20% within three generations (as is required to be considered Near Threatened under Criterion A). As the species does not approach threatened thresholds under any other criteria, our preliminary proposal for the 2024 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion, noting that the present proposal is regarding the species’ global extinction risk and that a Least Concern categorisation does not imply the absence of threats or declines.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 13 May 2024, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2024 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2024, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Assuming that hunting is not increasing, I support this change
I do not support the changes proposed here for quite the same reasons exposed in my comment on the New Caledonian Imperial-pigeon. Also this species suffer from a lack of dedicated studies (none specific, to my knowledge). In addition to a change its status in Least Concern, a change into Data Deficient might possibly help to ensure that it is better taken into account locally in the future and to initiate dedicated studies for a more informed assessment of its current status in New Caledonia.
Fabrice BRESCIA, PhD, Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien/ New-Caledonian Agronomic Institute (IAC)
We received the following contribution from Société Calédonienne d’Ornithologie:
Below are our remarks, which, unless otherwise specified, apply equally to both the Notou and the Cloven-feathered Dove :
About population size :
• Considering the Notou, the most recent studies are not being taken into account (see Jörn Theuerkauf’s comments), and new studies have just been initiated by Southern province.
• The studies considered in your project are outdated, with most of them conducted within a protected park where the population status does not reflect the condition of the general population facing pressures that do not exist within protected areas.
• You reference ebird 2024, whose data is very limited for New Caledonia and primarily based on observations by tourists in protected parks. For example, the SCO (with over 18,000 naturalist observations in 2023) does not use this tool.
• There is no additional evidence of the stability or progression of the species !
About Population trend :
This unfounded assertion fails to consider the evolving pressures on these species and the threats they pose to populations in the short term:
• Habitat loss : These species depend on primary rainforests. Recent studies highlight the regression of this favorable habitat, both in surface area and quality (species richness), due to human activities (fires, mining, agriculture) and invasive species, particularly the rusa deer, which destroys all forest regeneration. These studies confirm the observations of naturalists and local populations who frequent the forests and who also notice that the fruiting of trees, which are a primary food source for the Notou and the Cloven-feathered Dove, is less regular and abundant, likely due to climate change. This situation drives frugivorous species (pigeons, fruit bats, parrots) to leave the forest and approach inhabited areas and gardens in villages where they are increasingly observed, giving a false impression of abundance and further exposing them to hunter’s shots !
• Hunting and poaching : Regarding the Cloven-feathered Dove, there is no data on hunting, as the species is fully protected by laws, any catch result from poaching, which has never been studied. Concerning the Notou, data on hunting-related catch are scarce, and even scarcer for poaching. Furthermore, existing studies likely underestimate the real importance of catches because although the Notou is a popular game, its hunting remains a fairly secretive practice. A 2010 survey by the IAC on tribal agriculture in New Caledonia (results published in 2014 – see attached document) reveals that 20,000 Notous are hunted annually in the northern and southern provinces, along with 20,000 other game species, including Cloven-feathered Dove and Metallic Pigeon (species protected by regulations and prohibited from hunting at all times). The same study shows that some of this game is commercialized, which is illegal. The actual portion intended for commercialization is therefore likely greater. It is important to note that this study only covers activities within tribes and that hunting and poaching outside of tribes have not been studied. It is also important to note that at the time of this study, New Caledonia was experiencing a period of economic prosperity, allowing a large part of the rural population (including in tribes) to benefit from wage employment or economic activity, particularly in the North Province around the Voh mining complex. It should be noted that New Caledonia is currently experiencing an economic crisis, with an explosion in the unemployment rate (several thousand people laid off due to the suspension of the North factory), resulting in many people in rural areas returning to agriculture, hunting, and fishing for sustenance or subsistence income. The current economic situation inevitably leads to a significant increase in hunting pressure, as evidenced by statistics on hunting permits issued by the authorities of the northern and southern provinces, particularly during the legal Notou hunting period in April (see comments to this effect). It is logical to assume that illegal hunting (poaching) is also on the rise, like legal hunting or more.
For these various reasons, it seems prudent and reasonable to await the results of the new studies and rely on expert opinions before considering a revision of the status of these two species.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 3 May 2024. We will now analyse and interpret all information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 3 May 2024, when discussions will re-open.
Preliminary proposal
Many thanks to all for the helpful comments received. It is suggested that habitat loss and degradation may have intensified during the last three-generation period (16.35 years). Remote sensing data (Global Forest Watch 2024) suggest that forest loss is ongoing at a slow rate within the range (2-3% within three generations), however this does not take into account additional impacts of degradation and this is plausibly driving slow declines. The species is also thought to be hunted rarely despite this being prohibited, though the impact of this has not been quantified. The population trend is therefore precautionarily changed to Decreasing, but this is only suspected and the rate has not been quantified. In the absence of evidence to suggest that hunting pressure is very high however, there are not enough grounds to suggest that the species has declined at a rate exceeding 20% within three generations (as is required to be considered Near Threatened under Criterion A). As the species does not approach threatened thresholds under any other criteria, our preliminary proposal for the 2024 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion, noting that the present proposal is regarding the species’ global extinction risk and that a Least Concern categorisation does not imply the absence of threats or declines.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 13 May 2024, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2024 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2024, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.