What's new (2005)

Phil Hansbro

Pitt Island Shag has been uplisted to Endangered in the 2005 IUCN Red List
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During 2004-2005, the status of 150 species was actively reviewed and discussed in the Globally Threatened Bird discussion forums on BirdLife's website, resulting in the IUCN Red List category being revised for 99 of these species in April 2005 (see below). These revisions will be incorporated into the 2005 IUCN Red List when this is released in late 2005.

The table below gives the totals in each IUCN Red List category in 2000, 2004 and 2005. The relatively small net changes to the totals mask the fact that 226 species moved between categories in 2000-2004, and 99 species moved between categories in 2004-2005 (see links 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 2004.

Category	2000	2004	2005
Extinct	128	129	131
Extinct in the Wild	3	4	4
Critically Endangered (incl. Possibly Extinct)	182 (n/a)	179 (18)	179 (17)
Endangered	321	345	350
Vulnerable	680	689	679
Total threatened	1,186	1,217	1,212
Near Threatened (incl. Conservation Dependent)	730 (3)	773 (n/a)	788 (n/a)
Least Concern	7,755	7,720	7,697
Data Deficient	79	78	78
Total	9,878	9,917	9,906

Species changing IUCN Red List category between 2004 and 2005

The table below lists all 99 species whose 2004 IUCN Red List category was revised in April 2005 for the 2005 IUCN Red List. An explanation of the category codes and 'Reason for change' terms follows the table. Of the 99 category changes, 14 resulted from a genuine improvement (5) or deterioration (9) in the status of species, 48 were a result of improved knowledge (of the status of species or the threats impacting them) and 37 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 along with a full explanation of the standard taxonomic sources BirdLife uses.

Scientific name	Common name	2004	2005	Reason for change
Nothoprocta kalinowskii	Kalinowski's Tinamou	CR	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Pterodroma madeira	Zino's Petrel	CR	EN	Knowledge
Papasula abbotti	Abbott's Booby	CR	EN	Genuine (since first assessment)
Phalacrocorax pygmeus	Pygmy Cormorant	NT	LC	Knowledge
Phalacrocorax bransfieldensis	Antarctic Shag	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Phalacrocorax onslowi	Chatham Island Shag	EN	CR	Knowledge
Phalacrocorax featherstoni	Pitt Island Shag	VU	EN	Genuine (since first assessment)
Butorides sundevalli	Galapagos Heron	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Tigriornis leucolopha	White-crested Bittern	DD	LC	Knowledge
Pteronetta hartlaubii	Hartlaub's Duck	NT	LC	Knowledge
Anas carolinensis	Green-winged Teal	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Polysticta stelleri	Steller's Eider	LC	VU	Genuine (since first assessment)
Spizaetus floris	Flores Hawk-eagle	NR	EN	Taxonomy (newly split)
Milvus milvus	Red Kite	LC	NT	Genuine (since first assessment)
Haliaeetus albicilla	White-tailed Eagle	NT	LC	Genuine (since first assessment)
Buteo archeri	Archer's Buzzard	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Aquila adalberti	Spanish Imperial Eagle	EN	VU	Knowledge
Caracara plancus	Southern Caracara	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Falco vespertinus	Red-footed Falcon	LC	NT	Knowledge
Crax unicornis	Southern Helmeted Curassow	VU	EN	Knowledge
Syrmaticus humiae	Hume's Pheasant	VU	NT	Knowledge
Polyplectron germaini	Germain's Peacock-pheasant	VU	NT	Knowledge
Rheinardia ocellata	Crested Argus	VU	NT	Knowledge
Gallirallus calayanensis	Calayan Rail	NR	VU	Taxonomy (newly described)
Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi	Hawkins' Rail	NR	EX	Knowledge
Charadrius obscurus	New Zealand Dotterel	VU	EN	Knowledge
Charadrius melodus	Piping Plover	VU	NT	Knowledge
Gallinago delicata	Wilson's Snipe	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Larus bulleri	Black-billed Gull	VU	EN	Knowledge
Pagophila eburnea	Ivory Gull	LC	NT	Knowledge
Sterna lorata	Peruvian Tern	NT	EN	Knowledge
Patagioenas inornata	Plain Pigeon	VU	NT	Genuine (since first assessment)
Macropygia phasianella	Brown Cuckoo-dove	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Turacoena modesta	Slaty Cuckoo-dove	VU	NT	Knowledge
Gallicolumba salamonis	Thick-billed Ground-dove	CR (PE)	EX	Knowledge
Ducula constans	Kimberley Imperial Pigeon	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Loriculus sclateri	Sula Hanging-parrot	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Trichoglossus rubritorquis	Red-throated Parakeet	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Calyptorhynchus baudinii	Baudin's Black-cockatoo	NT	EN	Knowledge
Nestor meridionalis	Kaka	VU	EN	Knowledge
Platycercus flaveolus	Yellow Rosella	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae	Red-fronted Parakeet	LC	VU	Knowledge
Cyanoramphus malherbi	Malherbe's Parakeet	EN	CR	Genuine (since first assessment)
Ara ambiguus	Great Green Macaw	VU	EN	Knowledge
Primolius couloni	Blue-headed Macaw	NT	EN	Knowledge
Hapalopsittaca amazonina	Rusty-faced Parrot	EN	VU	Knowledge
Amazona tucumana	Tucumán Parrot	LC	NT	Knowledge
Tyto castanops	Tasmanian Masked Owl	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Otus collari	Sangihe Scops-owl	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly described)
Jubula lettii	Maned Owl	LC	DD	Knowledge
Ninox boobook	Southern Boobook	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Collocalia terraereginae	Australian Swiftlet	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Todiramphus gambieri	Tuamotu Kingfisher	VU	CR	Knowledge
Coracias garrulus	European Roller	LC	NT	Genuine (since first assessment)
Anorrhinus austeni	Austen's Brown Hornbill	NR	NT	Taxonomy (newly split)
Colaptes fernandinae	Fernandina's Flicker	EN	VU	Knowledge
Asthenes arequipae	Dark-winged Canastero	NE	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Aphrastura masafuerae	Masafuera Rayadito	VU	CR	Genuine (since first assessment)
Synallaxis kollari	Hoary-throated Spinetail	EN	VU	Knowledge
Asthenes huancavelicae	Pale-tailed Canastero	VU	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Grallaria alleni	Moustached Antpitta	EN	VU	Knowledge
Onychorhynchus swainsoni	Atlantic Royal Flycatcher	EN	VU	Knowledge
Myiobius sulphureipygius	Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly split)
Knipolegus franciscanus	Brazilian Black-tyrant	LC	NT	Knowledge
Xenicus gilviventris	South Island Wren	NT	VU	Knowledge
Heteromirafra archeri	Archer's Lark	VU	CR	Knowledge
Heteromirafra ruddi	Rudd's Lark	CR	VU	Knowledge
Chersophilus duponti	Dupont's Lark	LC	NT	Knowledge
Progne modesta	Galápagos Martin	NR	VU	Taxonomy (newly split)
Progne murphyi	Peruvian Martin	NR	VU	Taxonomy (newly split)
Lanius meridionalis	Southern Grey Shrike	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Troglodytes monticola	Santa Marta Wren	LC	VU	Knowledge
Myophonus robinsoni	Malaysian Whistling-thrush	VU	LC	Knowledge
Copsychus sechellarum	Seychelles Magpie-robin	CR	EN	Genuine (since first assessment)
Trichastoma buettikoferi	Sumatran Babbler	NR	NT	Taxonomy (newly split)
Bradypterus alishanensis	Taiwan Bush-warbler	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly described)
Phylloscopus sichuanensis	Chinese Leaf-warbler	NR	LC	Taxonomy (newly described)
Cisticola haesitatus	Island Cisticola	VU	NT	Knowledge
Apalis lynesi	Namuli Apalis	VU	NT	Knowledge
Phylloscopus orientalis	Eastern Bonelli's Warbler	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Mohoua ochrocephala	Yellowhead	VU	EN	Genuine (since first assessment)
Heteromyias cinereifrons	Grey-headed Robin	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Ficedula semitorquata	Semicollared Flycatcher	LC	NT	Knowledge
Pachycephala griseiceps	Grey-headed Whistler	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Sitta krueperi	Krueper's Nuthatch	LC	NT	Genuine (recent)
Zosterops modestus	Seychelles White-eye	CR	EN	Knowledge
Melithreptus laetior	Golden-backed Honeyeater	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Anthochaera lunulata	Little Wattlebird	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Sporophila insulata	Tumaco Seedeater	CR	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Dendroica kirtlandii	Kirtland's Warbler	VU	NT	Genuine (since first assessment)
Carduelis cabaret	Lesser Redpoll	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Pyrrhula murina	Azores Bullfinch	EN	CR	Knowledge
Lonchura pallidiventer	Cream-bellied Munia	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)
Padda fuscata	Timor Sparrow	VU	NT	Knowledge
Aplonis feadensis	Atoll Starling	VU	NT	Knowledge
Oriolus isabellae	Isabela Oriole	EN	CR	Knowledge
Zavattariornis stresemanni	Ethiopian Bush-crow	VU	EN	Genuine (since first assessment)
Corvus unicolor	Banggai Crow	EN	CR	Knowledge
Corvus boreus	Relict Raven	LC	NR	Taxonomy (no longer valid/recognised)

IUCN Red List categories

EX = Extinct; EW = Extinct in the Wild; CR = Critically Endangered; CR (PE) = Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct); EN = Endangered; VU = Vulnerable; NT = Near Threatened; LC = Least Concern; DD = Data Deficient; NE = Not Evaluated; NR = Not Recognised (a category applied by BirdLife to taxa in those assessments when they were not treated as full species).

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 (or in the last 10 years if the last complete assessment was prior to this). 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). For species qualifying under criterion "A", particularly those with long generation times, more than half of the period during which the change has occurred must be since the baseline date.

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, excluding any species changing category that have undergone a genuine status change since the first assessment. Such a change in knowledge may be in the form of better knowledge owing to new or newly synthesised information or better understanding of the IUCN Red List criteria.

Taxonomy

The new category is different from the previous one ('Not Recognised') owing to a taxonomic change adopted by BirdLife during the period since the previous assessment. 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).

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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