4 thoughts on “Red-headed Parrotfinch (Erythrura cyaneovirens)”
The three “populations” are now widely recognized as three species and should be treated as such by conservation groups. I suspect that the Samoan species would meet your criteria for some level of endangerment. See DeCicco et al. 2023. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 187:107883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107883 for taxonomy based on genetic evidence. Species limits also suggested by Pratt & Mittermeier (2016).
The Vanuatu taxon is rare on Santo and, although other islands are poorly studied, it appears to be uncommon or rare on nearly all islands except for Tongoa and Emae. I think it highly likely that the Vanuatu population is no more than a few thousand and hence the overall population is <10,000. As noted by Doug, any re assessment text should flag the potential that the taxa could be split in the future and would need another assessment.
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. Given this species’ rarity and that much of its range is poorly studied, the suspected lower bound of the population size is lowered to 7,000 mature individuals. However, although plausibly numbering less than 10,000 mature individuals, there are multiple subpopulations and no evidence that the largest numbers less than 1,000 (as would be required to be considered Near Threatened under Criterion C2a(i)). The species therefore does not approach threatened thresholds under any criterion.
BirdLife International uses the taxonomy published in the two volumes (2014 and 2016) of the HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World and subsequent annual updates, and this therefore forms the list of bird species in the IUCN Red List. However, the above comments have been passed on to the BirdLife Taxonomic Working Group.
Based on available information therefore, our preliminary proposal for the 2024 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 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.
The three “populations” are now widely recognized as three species and should be treated as such by conservation groups. I suspect that the Samoan species would meet your criteria for some level of endangerment. See DeCicco et al. 2023. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 187:107883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107883 for taxonomy based on genetic evidence. Species limits also suggested by Pratt & Mittermeier (2016).
The Vanuatu taxon is rare on Santo and, although other islands are poorly studied, it appears to be uncommon or rare on nearly all islands except for Tongoa and Emae. I think it highly likely that the Vanuatu population is no more than a few thousand and hence the overall population is <10,000. As noted by Doug, any re assessment text should flag the potential that the taxa could be split in the future and would need another assessment.
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. Given this species’ rarity and that much of its range is poorly studied, the suspected lower bound of the population size is lowered to 7,000 mature individuals. However, although plausibly numbering less than 10,000 mature individuals, there are multiple subpopulations and no evidence that the largest numbers less than 1,000 (as would be required to be considered Near Threatened under Criterion C2a(i)). The species therefore does not approach threatened thresholds under any criterion.
BirdLife International uses the taxonomy published in the two volumes (2014 and 2016) of the HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World and subsequent annual updates, and this therefore forms the list of bird species in the IUCN Red List. However, the above comments have been passed on to the BirdLife Taxonomic Working Group.
Based on available information therefore, our preliminary proposal for the 2024 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 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.