Justification This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size may be moderately small to large, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Family/Sub-family Burhinidae

Species name author (Swainson, 1837)

Taxonomic source(s) AERC TAC (2003), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

20,000 - 50,000

unset

7,040,000 km²

No

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: Behaviour This species is mostly sedentary but may undertake seasonal movements in parts of West Africa in relation to flooding and drought (both of which cause the species to move out of an area)⁴. In Nigeria it undertakes local movements only, corresponding to water level changes, and in other parts of its range it does not migrate³. It is commonly found in pairs or small parties of up to six individuals (flocks occasionally exceed 20-60 individuals on the River Nile in Egypt⁴), but in the breeding season nesting pairs become territorial and usually disperse to nest singly¹. In the Nile Delta, the species commonly nests in small colonies however, with up to 21 nests recorded on the roof of one house. The timing of the breeding season varies according to locality^{3, 4}, but it usually occurs before the rains in areas with seasonal rainfall⁴. The species is mainly nocturnal, but is often crepuscular^{1, 3}, sometimes foraging in the twilight hours of morning and evening¹. Habitat This species occupies a wide variety of open land with sparse or no vegetation, including savanna and woodland clearings, open orchards, sandy or stony ground amidst thorny scrub, gardens in towns and villages^{1, 2}, gravel roads³, burnt woodland and semi-arid grassland⁴. It is always found in the close proximity to water, especially on sandy riverbeds, riverside mudbanks, rocks mid-stream^{1, 2}, lake shores, mangroves³, grassy flats beside rivers and irrigated fields⁴. It avoids steep broken terrain, desert and tall, dense vegetation, either in wetland or forest¹. Diet This species is carnivorous and feeds exclusively on land⁴, its diet consisting mainly of insects (e.g. beetles, grasshoppers) and crustaceans, but also of molluscs, worms, frogs, tadpoles and small rodents^{1, 3}. Breeding site The nest of this species is a shallow scrape positioned on bare ground, sand-banks, the top of low flat rocks or on rocky islets in rivers¹. It has also been recorded nesting on the flat roofs of buildings in Egypt¹.

Threats This species is threatened by habitat loss and degradation in Ghana wetlands owing to coastal erosion and proposed developments involving drainage and land reclamation⁵. Utilisation The species is hunted and traded at traditional medicine markets in Nigeria⁶.

References 1. Cramp and Simmons (1983). 2. Hayman, et al. (1986). 3. Urban, et al. (1986). 4. del Hoyo, et al. (1996). 5. Ntiamoa-Baidu (1991). 6. Nikolaus (2001).

Text account compilers Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Lucy Malpas (BirdLife International)

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Burhinus senegalensis. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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