5 thoughts on “Rubeho Akalat (Sheppardia aurantiithorax)”
I so not know this species and have not been to these specific forests in recent years, so I cannot specifically comment on the degradation and you would need to communicate with the birders that have been visiting these locations in the last 3-5 years to search for this and a number of other taxa in high demand (e.g. new species of undescribed sunbird). However, when I read the text about reduced threat due to being in protected forest and the forests being at high elevations, I fear that your team may have it all wrong! Forests at high elevations are no longer safe due to in accessibility as roads are being carved in many ranges, allowing for logging. Ukaguru Mts is a very good example of this, which a forest that had VERY little logging activity when visited in 1990, and is now in great danger of severe degradation (see the link below). Many of the Eastern Arc forests are facing a similar plight. Furthermore, protective status is good but not free from exploitation. Up to 2025, observations of tree cutting of old growth trees deep in protected nature is occurring at some alarming rates. I urge your team to be more careful in your literature research and therefore more careful in your wording on threats or reduced threats.
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 2 February 2026. 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 2 February 2026, when discussions will re-open.
We thank Norbert for his comment regarding threats to the species’ habitat. While there may be increasing pressure on protected areas, this does not affect the outcome of the current assessment. Habitat quality is noted as declining; however, there is no evidence that the species is severely fragmented, that the number of locations approaches 10, or that extreme fluctuations are occurring. Global Forest Watch data indicate a relatively modest decline in tree cover over the past 10 years, and the study referenced reports an 8.4% decline in tree cover in the Ukugurus over 30 years, which (if constant) is equivalent to approximately 2.8% over a 10-year period. Although habitat loss is a concern, these rates of decline do not seem sufficient to suspect a rapid population reduction sufficient to approach thresholds under Criterion A. Given the restricted range, the impact of roads opening areas for increased logging does represent a significant threat to its habitat and this will be captured in the threats section of the reassessment.
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2026 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classification outlined in the initial forum discussion.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 8 February 2026, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2026 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites later this year, 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 16 February 2026.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Rubeho Akalat is recommended to be listed as Near Threatened, approaching thresholds under Criteria B1b(iii)+2b(iii).
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the 2026.1 GTB Forum process. The final Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites later this year, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
I so not know this species and have not been to these specific forests in recent years, so I cannot specifically comment on the degradation and you would need to communicate with the birders that have been visiting these locations in the last 3-5 years to search for this and a number of other taxa in high demand (e.g. new species of undescribed sunbird). However, when I read the text about reduced threat due to being in protected forest and the forests being at high elevations, I fear that your team may have it all wrong! Forests at high elevations are no longer safe due to in accessibility as roads are being carved in many ranges, allowing for logging. Ukaguru Mts is a very good example of this, which a forest that had VERY little logging activity when visited in 1990, and is now in great danger of severe degradation (see the link below). Many of the Eastern Arc forests are facing a similar plight. Furthermore, protective status is good but not free from exploitation. Up to 2025, observations of tree cutting of old growth trees deep in protected nature is occurring at some alarming rates. I urge your team to be more careful in your literature research and therefore more careful in your wording on threats or reduced threats.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21564574.2022.2043945?casa_token=CXhAqXDuDnwAAAAA:eHKDkr9TD0gHajcKuqO-Jx_ufb3fHucMjvl8KRRkZoU9pN0AncXO5znDUDxR9ZNYY6bOkdXIvw3ifnM
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 2 February 2026. 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 2 February 2026, when discussions will re-open.
Preliminary proposal
We thank Norbert for his comment regarding threats to the species’ habitat. While there may be increasing pressure on protected areas, this does not affect the outcome of the current assessment. Habitat quality is noted as declining; however, there is no evidence that the species is severely fragmented, that the number of locations approaches 10, or that extreme fluctuations are occurring. Global Forest Watch data indicate a relatively modest decline in tree cover over the past 10 years, and the study referenced reports an 8.4% decline in tree cover in the Ukugurus over 30 years, which (if constant) is equivalent to approximately 2.8% over a 10-year period. Although habitat loss is a concern, these rates of decline do not seem sufficient to suspect a rapid population reduction sufficient to approach thresholds under Criterion A. Given the restricted range, the impact of roads opening areas for increased logging does represent a significant threat to its habitat and this will be captured in the threats section of the reassessment.
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2026 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classification outlined in the initial forum discussion.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 8 February 2026, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2026 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites later this year, 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 16 February 2026.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Rubeho Akalat is recommended to be listed as Near Threatened, approaching thresholds under Criteria B1b(iii)+2b(iii).
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the 2026.1 GTB Forum process. The final Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites later this year, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.