Recently recategorised species

Chris Kelly

Spoon-billed Sandpiper was uplisted to Critically Endangered in the 2008 IUCN Red List update
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BirdLife International’s 2011 update of the IUCN Red List for birds follows the publication in 2008 of Threatened Birds of the World when all the world’s birds were comprehensively assessed against the IUCN Red List criteria. In 2011, a total of 10,052 species are recognised by BirdLife with the status of 113 species discussed on the Globally Threatened Bird discussion forums on BirdLife's website, resulting in the IUCN Red List category being revised for 41 species. In addition, a number of taxonomic changes were incorporated. The table below gives the totals in each IUCN Red List category since 2000. The relatively small net changes to the totals mask the fact that 226 species moved between categories in 2000-2004, 99 species in 2004-2005, 150 in 2005-2006, 81 in 2006-2007, 147 in 2007-2008, 78 in 2008-2009, 99 in 2009-2010 and 67 in 2010-2011 (see below). These include category revisions owing to improved knowledge and taxonomic changes, as well as genuine changes in status. Therefore, it is difficult to interpret the changes in absolute totals. Instead, it is better to examine trends in the Red List Index, which shows graphically the net changes to the overall projected extinction risk of the world’s birds from 1988 to 2008.

Category	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Extinct	129	131	135	135	134	133	132	132
Extinct in the Wild	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Critically Endangered (incl. Possibly Extinct)	179 (18)	179 (17)	181 (16)	189 (15)	190 (15)	192(15)	190 (14)	189 (14)
Endangered	345	350	351	356	363	362	372	381
Vulnerable	689	679	674	672	669	669	678	683
Total Threatened	1,217	1,212	1,210	1,221	1,226	1,227	1,240	1,253
Near Threatened (incl. Conservation Dependent in 2000)	773	788	795	812	835	838	838	843
Least Concern	7,720	7,697	7,720	7,715	7,729	7,735	7,751	7,758
Data Deficient	78	78	74	73	66	65	62	62
Total	9,917	9,906	9,934	9,956	9,990	9,998	10,027	10,052

Species changing IUCN Red List status

The table below lists all 67 species whose IUCN Red List category was revised in June 2011 for the 2011 IUCN Red List. An explanation of the category codes and 'Reason for change' terms follows the table. Of the 67 category changes, 7 resulted from a genuine change in the status of species (6 improvements versus 1 deteriorations), 34 were a result of improved knowledge (of the status of species or the threats impacting them) and 26 resulted from taxonomic revisions (either recently published or recently evaluated/re-evaluated by BirdLife). Full explanations for the taxonomic changes are given in the Taxonomic notes field on the species factsheets, which are available through the Datazone.

Common name	Scientific name	2010 RL	2011 RL	Reason for change
Sula Megapode	Megapodius bernsteinii	NT	VU	Knowledge
Colombian Chachalaca	Ortalis columbiana	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Siamese Fireback	Lophura diardi	NT	LC	Knowledge
Eastern Spot-billed Duck	Anas zonorhyncha	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Campbell Islands Teal	Anas nesiotis	CR	EN	Genuine (since first assessment)
Baikal Teal	Anas formosa	VU	LC	Knowledge
Collared Petrel	Pterodroma brevipes	NT	VU	Knowledge
Flightless Cormorant	Phalacrocorax harrisi	EN	VU	Knowledge
Lesser Kestrel	Falco naumanni	VU	LC	Knowledge
Secretarybird	Sagittarius serpentarius	LC	VU	Knowledge
Hooded Vulture	Necrosyrtes monachus	LC	EN	Knowledge
Socotra Buzzard	Buteo socotraensis	NR	VU	Taxonomy (newly split)
Great Indian Bustard	Ardeotis nigriceps	EN	CR	Genuine (since first assessment)
Noble Snipe	Gallinago nobilis	LC	NT	Knowledge
Madeira Laurel Pigeon	Columba trocaz	NT	LC	Genuine (since first assessment)
Dark-tailed Laurel Pigeon	Columba bollii	NT	LC	Genuine (since first assessment)
White-tailed Laurel Pigeon	Columba junoniae	EN	NT	Genuine (since first assessment)
Sao Tome Green-pigeon	Treron sanctithomae	LC	VU	Knowledge
Pohnpei Lorikeet	Trichoglossus rubiginosus	LC	NT	Knowledge
Derbyan Parakeet	Psittacula derbiana	LC	NT	Knowledge
Maroon-fronted Parrot	Rhynchopsitta terrisi	VU	EN	Knowledge
Tucuman Amazon	Amazona tucumana	NT	VU	Knowledge
Rufous Fishing-owl	Scotopelia ussheri	EN	VU	Knowledge
Solomon Islands Frogmouth	Rigidipenna inexpectata	LC	NT	Knowledge
Mexican Whip-poor-will	Caprimulgus arizonae	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Puerto Rican Nightjar	Caprimulgus noctitherus	CR	EN	Knowledge
Tapajos Hermit	Phaethornis aethopyga	NR	NT	Taxonomy (newly split)
Honduran Emerald	Amazilia luciae	CR	EN	Knowledge
Black-backed Thornbill	Ramphomicron dorsale	LC	EN	Knowledge
Amazonian Trogon	Trogon ramonianus	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Blue-moustached Bee-eater	Merops mentalis	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Kaempfer's Woodpecker	Celeus obrieni	CR	EN	Knowledge
Malayan Banded Pitta	Pitta irena	NR	NT	Taxonomy (newly split)
Bornean Banded Pitta	Pitta schwaneri	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Foothill Elaenia	Myiopagis olallai	NT	VU	Knowledge
Grey-backed Tachuri	Polystictus superciliaris	NT	LC	Knowledge
Ticking Doradito	Pseudocolopteryx citreola	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Caatinga Antwren	Herpsilochmus sellowi	NT	LC	Knowledge
Sincora Antwren	Formicivora grantsaui	NR	NT	Taxonomy (newly described)
Antioquia Antpitta	Grallaria fenwickorum	NR	CR	Taxonomy (newly described)
Diamantina Tapaculo	Scytalopus diamantinensis	NR	NT	Taxonomy (newly described)
Paramillo Tapaculo	Scytalopus canus	NR	EN	Taxonomy (newly split)
Paramo Tapaculo	Scytalopus opaca	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Elusive Antpitta	Grallaria eludens	NT	LC	Knowledge
Cundinamarca Antpitta	Grallaria kaestneri	VU	EN	Knowledge
Cipo Canastero	Asthenes luizae	VU	NT	Knowledge
Hudson's Canastero	Asthenes hudsoni	LC	NT	Knowledge
Rio Orinoco Spinetail	Synallaxis beverlyae	NR	NT	Taxonomy (newly described)
Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner	Automolus rufipectus	NR	NT	Taxonomy (newly split)
Tablas Drongo	Dicrurus menagei	NR	EN	Taxonomy (newly split)
Kauai Elepaio	Chasiempis sclateri	NR	VU	Taxonomy (newly split)
Oahu Elepaio	Chasiempis ibidis	NR	EN	Taxonomy (newly split)
Samoan Flycatcher	Myiagra albiventris	VU	NT	Genuine (since first assessment)
White-throated Wren-babbler	Rimator pasquieri	LC	EN	Knowledge
Pale-throated Wren-babbler	Spelaeornis kinneari	LC	VU	Knowledge
Santa Marta Wren	Troglodytes monticola	VU	CR	Knowledge
Malaysian Whistling-thrush	Myophonus robinsoni	LC	NT	Knowledge
Principe Thrush	Turdus xanthorhynchus	NR	CR	Taxonomy (newly split)
Fuerteventura Stonechat	Saxicola dacotiae	EN	NT	Knowledge
Nilgiri Pipit	Anthus nilghiriensis	NT	VU	Knowledge
Belding's Yellowthroat	Geothlypis beldingi	CR	EN	Knowledge
Variable Oriole	Icterus pyrrhopterus	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Bahama Oriole	Icterus northropi	NR	CR	Taxonomy (newly split)
Cuban Oriole	Icterus melanopsis	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Puerto Rican Oriole	Icterus portoricensis	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Pale-headed Brush-finch	Atlapetes pallidiceps	CR	EN	Genuine (since first assessment)
Masked Cardinal	Paroaria nigrogenis	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)

IUCN Red List categories

Reason for change

This is a code assigned by BirdLife whenever a species's IUCN Red List Category is changed. The codes are:

Genuine (recent)

The change in category is the result of a genuine status change that has taken place since the last complete assessment. For example, the change is due to an increase in the rate of decline, a decrease in population or range size or habitat, or declines in these for the first time (owing to increasing/new threats) and therefore new thresholds are met relating to the IUCN Red List criteria.

Genuine (since first assessment)

The change in category is the result of a genuine status change that took place prior to the last complete assessment, but since the first complete assessment (1988) and that has only just been detected owing to new information/ documentation. If this new information had been available earlier, the new category would have been assigned during the previous assessment(s).

Criteria revision

The change in category is the result of the revision of the IUCN Red List Criteria (currently 1994 v. 2001 versions). These largely relate to criteria A2, A3, A4, D2 and the removal of the 'Conservation Dependent' category.

Knowledge

The change in category is the result of better knowledge, e.g. owing to new or newly synthesised information or better understanding of application of the IUCN Red List criteria.

Taxonomy

The new category is different from the previous one (which may be 'Not Recognised') owing to a taxonomic change adopted during the period since the previous assessment. Such changes include: newly split (the taxon is newly elevated to species level), newly described (the taxon is newly described as a species), newly lumped (the taxon is newly lumped with another species) and no longer valid/recognised (either the taxon is no longer valid e.g. because it is now considered to be a hybrid or variant, form or subspecies of another species, or the previously recognised taxon differs from a currently recognised one as a result of a split or lump).

Mistake

The previous category was applied in error (excluding those cases covered under Knowledge).

Other

The change in category is the result of other reasons not easily covered by the above, and/or requires further explanation.

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