5 thoughts on “Rufous-brown Solitaire (Cichlopsis leucogenys)”
I disagree. The species occurs in only 1 locality in Minas Gerais, 2 in Espírito Santo and less than 10 in Bahia. In Boa Nova and Santa Maria do Salto the population is extremely low (one of the rarest and least frequently listed mackinnons in both areas). Only in stretches in an excellent state of conservation. The species is certainly threatened.
This Brazilian endemic species is listed as EN on the national red list assessment. I support Edson Ribeiro’s concerns. The text from the SALVE [based on the described range, using an older and more expansive taxonomic definition of the species, but the assessment applies to the species as currently treated by BirdLife] reads:
“Cichlopsis leucogenys ocorre nos Andes, Tepuis e no Brasil, em pequena região de Mata Atlântica nos estados do Espírito Santo, Bahia e Minas Gerais. A espécie não ocorre em toda sua extensão de ocorrência, contendo habitat inadequados para sua sobrevivência. Desta forma, a área de ocupação (AOO), considerando somente locais com altitude superior a 700 m, foi calculada em 188 km². Suspeita-se que haja declínio populacional continuado devido à perda de habitat, uma vez que a espécie é dependente de floresta bem conservada e que este tipo de vegetação continua sofrendo pressão antrópica, especialmente devido à expansão agrícola. Considera-se também que a população está severamente fragmentada devido ao seu baixo poder de deslocamento e a perda de áreas contínuas de mata. Dessa forma, C. leucogenys foi categorizada como Em Perigo (EN) pelo critério B2ab(iii).”
Note that some of the outlying mapped records on eBird are certainly errors (e.g., in Canudos, Bahia). A more accurate overview of the range is given by Vogel (cited in the proposal), or by WikiAves: https://www.wikiaves.com.br/mapaRegistros_sabia-castanho
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 25 April 2025. We will now analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List category on this page on 25 April 2025, when discussions will re-open.
We thank all contributors for their contributions. Further investigation into the data obtained at Biological Reserve Augusto Ruschi by de Novaes et al. (2016) supports comments indicating the species is both restricted to undisturbed habitat and occurs there at low densities. While reporting a ‘relatively high abundance’, there were only 15 detections over the course of six years of survey from repeated point counts within a set of transects that covered an area of 2 km by 2 km (de Novaes et al. 2016). While the species can be difficult to find, this rate of detection suggests densities are very low even where it is considered relatively abundant. Potentially this number of encounters could relate to only one or two pairs within this study area, suggesting densities could easily be as low as 1-2 per/km² in optimal habitat.
Its range is rather poorly known, doubtless due to both the difficulty of detection and the low density. Within the mapped extant range where the species has been recorded there lies c. 6,000 km² of forest (data from Jung et al. 2020, analysed using sRedList 2025), however much of this is heavily degraded (Grantham et al. 2020). Very tentatively assuming a density of 1–2 mature individuals per km² in suitable habitat and 50-100% occupancy to reflect uncertainty, the population is estimated at 3,000–12,000 mature individuals, with a lower bound of the largest subpopulation still likely to fall below 1,000 mature individuals.
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2025 Red List would be to list Rufous-brown Solitaire as Vulnerable under Criterion C2a(i).
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 4 May 2025, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2025 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2025, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
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. We will analyse and interpret the information, and a final decision on this species’ Red List category will be posted on this page on 12 May 2025.
I disagree. The species occurs in only 1 locality in Minas Gerais, 2 in Espírito Santo and less than 10 in Bahia. In Boa Nova and Santa Maria do Salto the population is extremely low (one of the rarest and least frequently listed mackinnons in both areas). Only in stretches in an excellent state of conservation. The species is certainly threatened.
This Brazilian endemic species is listed as EN on the national red list assessment. I support Edson Ribeiro’s concerns. The text from the SALVE [based on the described range, using an older and more expansive taxonomic definition of the species, but the assessment applies to the species as currently treated by BirdLife] reads:
“Cichlopsis leucogenys ocorre nos Andes, Tepuis e no Brasil, em pequena região de Mata Atlântica nos estados do Espírito Santo, Bahia e Minas Gerais. A espécie não ocorre em toda sua extensão de ocorrência, contendo habitat inadequados para sua sobrevivência. Desta forma, a área de ocupação (AOO), considerando somente locais com altitude superior a 700 m, foi calculada em 188 km². Suspeita-se que haja declínio populacional continuado devido à perda de habitat, uma vez que a espécie é dependente de floresta bem conservada e que este tipo de vegetação continua sofrendo pressão antrópica, especialmente devido à expansão agrícola. Considera-se também que a população está severamente fragmentada devido ao seu baixo poder de deslocamento e a perda de áreas contínuas de mata. Dessa forma, C. leucogenys foi categorizada como Em Perigo (EN) pelo critério B2ab(iii).”
Note that some of the outlying mapped records on eBird are certainly errors (e.g., in Canudos, Bahia). A more accurate overview of the range is given by Vogel (cited in the proposal), or by WikiAves: https://www.wikiaves.com.br/mapaRegistros_sabia-castanho
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 25 April 2025. We will now analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List category on this page on 25 April 2025, when discussions will re-open.
Preliminary proposal
We thank all contributors for their contributions. Further investigation into the data obtained at Biological Reserve Augusto Ruschi by de Novaes et al. (2016) supports comments indicating the species is both restricted to undisturbed habitat and occurs there at low densities. While reporting a ‘relatively high abundance’, there were only 15 detections over the course of six years of survey from repeated point counts within a set of transects that covered an area of 2 km by 2 km (de Novaes et al. 2016). While the species can be difficult to find, this rate of detection suggests densities are very low even where it is considered relatively abundant. Potentially this number of encounters could relate to only one or two pairs within this study area, suggesting densities could easily be as low as 1-2 per/km² in optimal habitat.
Its range is rather poorly known, doubtless due to both the difficulty of detection and the low density. Within the mapped extant range where the species has been recorded there lies c. 6,000 km² of forest (data from Jung et al. 2020, analysed using sRedList 2025), however much of this is heavily degraded (Grantham et al. 2020). Very tentatively assuming a density of 1–2 mature individuals per km² in suitable habitat and 50-100% occupancy to reflect uncertainty, the population is estimated at 3,000–12,000 mature individuals, with a lower bound of the largest subpopulation still likely to fall below 1,000 mature individuals.
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2025 Red List would be to list Rufous-brown Solitaire as Vulnerable under Criterion C2a(i).
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 4 May 2025, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2025 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2025, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
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. We will analyse and interpret the information, and a final decision on this species’ Red List category will be posted on this page on 12 May 2025.