Justification This species qualifies as Vulnerable because it is restricted to low-lying forest in a region where this habitat-type is being cleared and degraded at a catastrophic rate, such that rapid and continuing population declines are suspected.

Family/Sub-family Pycnonotidae

Species name author Lesson, 1839

Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Identification 19-20 cm. Drab, forest-dwelling bulbul. Warm brown crown, rest of upperparts mid-brown. Distinctive face pattern with whitish supercilium, blackish eye-stripe and moustachial divided by greyish cheeks. Pale whitish-buff underparts, greyer on flanks. Brown outer tail feathers broadly tipped white. Strong and hook-tipped bill. Similar spp. Puff-backed Bulbul Pycnonotus eutilotus also has white-tipped tail feathers, but is warmer brown, usually has visible crest and red eyes, and lacks supercilium and eye-stripe. Voice Relatively quiet, but gives loud, harsh crruk.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

10,000-19,999

decreasing

779,000 km²

No

Range & population Setornis criniger is confined to Borneo (including Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia, Brunei, and Kalimantan, Indonesia) and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Bangka. It is locally common on Borneo, perhaps rarer in the north and appears always to have been relatively rare and restricted in range on Sumatra. On both islands it is likely to be in steep decline owing to destruction of its habitat.

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

Ecology: It is strongly associated with nutrient-poor vegetation on acid soils. These include peatswamp (lowland evergreen forest characterised by low tree species diversity and strong adaptation to a fluctuating water-table and heath forest (kerangas, dense, low forest of thin-boled, small-leaved and often sclerophyllous trees). It has also been recorded in abandoned rubber plantations, ridge-top heath forest (to 1,000 m), sometimes tolerating secondary forest, but generally avoiding dryland primary forest.

Threats Peatswamp forest on Borneo and Sumatra is now under extreme pressure through logging and agricultural, industrial and residential development, particularly oil palm plantation agriculture². It is rendered more vulnerable by its restriction to coastal lowlands. In addition, recent forest-fires have destroyed vast swathes of primary peatswamp vegetation. Even in protected areas, such as Tanjung Puting National Park, industrial-scale illegal logging is proceeding at sufficient pace that most peatswamp forest is likely to disappear in the next decade.

Conservation measures underway It occurs in the Klias Forest Reserve, Sabah¹, Similajau National Park and Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary (Sarawak), Gunung Palung and Tanjung Puting National Parks (Kalimantan) and Padang-Sugihan Wildlife Reserve (Sumatra). Nevertheless, only 7% of remaining peatswamp-forest is under actual or proposed protection, whilst almost all protected areas containing this habitat continue to be threatened by logging, drainage and development.

Conservation measures proposed Conduct surveys to clarify its distribution, status and ecological specialisation, with a view to compiling an effective conservation strategy. Gazette all pristine peatswamp fragments on Borneo (and some on Sumatra) as protected areas, and restrict use of all remaining degraded peatswamps. Ensure relevant protected areas receive strong management. Impose a moratorium on all peatswamp development, pending survey work and research.

References BirdLife International (2001). 1. Lambert in litt (2002). 2. G. Davidson in litt (2007).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), James Gilroy (BirdLife International), Joe Tobias (BirdLife International)

Contributors Geoffrey Davidson (Malaysian Nature Society), Frank Lambert

IUCN Red List evaluators Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Nigel Collar (BirdLife International), Mike Crosby (BirdLife International), James Gilroy (BirdLife International), Joe Tobias (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Setornis criniger. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 10/2/2010

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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