Justification This species is probably nomadic and its ecological requirements are poorly understood, however it probably has a moderately small population which may be declining owing to habitat degradation; it therefore qualifies as Near Threatened.

Family/Sub-family Psittacidae

Species name author (Rothschild & Hartert, 1901)

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

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

unknown

decreasing

-

No

Range & population Charmosyna meeki is endemic to Bougainville in Papua New Guinea and the islands of Santa Isabel, Kolombangara, Guadalcanal and Malaita in the Solomon Islands. It is locally common in montane forest up to 1,200 m, with up to 50 seen in a day, and it uncommonly occurs down to sea-level and up to 1,700 m^1,2,3,4,6,7.

Ecology: It is probably nomadic, feeding in the canopy on pollen and nectar; it is also occasionally seen in coconut plantations. Flocks forage over large areas and may be reliant on a combination of habitats at different altitudes.

Threats A number of congeneric lorikeets have become rare or extinct through unknown causes. Much of the lowland forest in the region has been or is scheduled to be logged but the montane forest is safe. Although this species may have a small total population, there is no evidence of a decline, but it would be threatened by any future large-scale export trade⁵.

Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II.

Conservation measures proposed Monitor populations at key sites. Study patterns of movement in individuals to get a better idea of population size and habitat requirement. Ensure the protection of significant areas of forest at all altitudes. Take measures to prevent large-scale export trade.

References 1. Buckingham et al. (1995). 2. Cain and Galbraith (1956). 3. G. Dutson pers. obs. (1997-1998). 4. Hornbuckle (1999a). 5. T. Leary in litt. (2000). 6. Schodde (1977). 7. Webb (1992).

Text account compilers Guy Dutson (Birds Australia), Gopinathan Maheswaran (Bombay Natural History Society), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International), Andrew O'Brien (BirdLife International)

Contributors Guy Dutson (Birds Australia), T. Leary

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Charmosyna meeki. 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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