Justification This species has a small range which is shrinking as its habitat is cleared for resort development and coconut plantations. However, the range is not yet severely fragmented or restricted to few locations. For these reasons, the species is classified as Near Threatened.

Family/Sub-family Mimidae

Species name author Sclater, 1858

Taxonomic source(s) AOU checklist (1998 + supplements), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), Stotz et al. (1996)

Identification

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

20,000-49,999

decreasing

2,700 km²

No

Range & population Melanoptila glabrirostris occurs on the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. It is a common to fairly common resident on Cozumel Island and from east Quintana Roo, Mexico, to Ambergris Caye, Belize; common to uncommon on Caye Caulker, Lighthouse Reef and Glover's Reef, Belize. It is only a scarce and perhaps seasonal (mainly November-May) visitor over much of the Yucatán peninsula, west to Campeche, Mexico, south to Belize and into Petén, north Guatemala^1,4,7. There are no records from Honduras since the type-specimen was purportedly collected at Omoa in 1855 or 1856, leading to speculation that the specimen may have been mislabelled⁵.

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

Ecology: It inhabits the humid to semi-arid scrubby woodland and forest edge.

Threats Tourism development and conversion to coconut plantations are causing habitat loss and fragmentation in the core of its range on the Quintana Roo coast, Cozumel, and the cays in Belize^2,6. The Siwa Ban Reserve was designated in 1998 expressly to protect the population on Caye Caulker but it is unclear whether this has provided adequate protection³.

Conservation measures underway The Siwa Ban Reserve was designated to protect the species in 1998.

Conservation measures proposed Research the species tolerance to habitat degradation. Adequately protect the important population on Cozumel Island. Enforce the protection afforded to the species by the Siwa Ban Reserve.

References 1. Howell and Webb (1995). 2. Miller and Miller (1991). 3. B. W. Miller in litt. (2000). 4. Phillips (1986). 5. Ridgely and Gwynne (1989). 6. Stattersfield et al. (1998). 7. B. W. Miller in litt. (2007).

Text account compilers David Capper (BirdLife International), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International), Andrew O'Brien (BirdLife International)

Contributors Rob P Clay (BirdLife International), Bruce W. Miller

IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Melanoptila glabrirostris. 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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