Justification This species has a very 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). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, 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 Psittacidae

Species name author (Gmelin, 1788)

Taxonomic source(s) Christidis and Boles (1994), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

unknown

unset

716,000 km²

No

Range & population This species is found in Australia and New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea). In Australia, subspecies macgillivrayi is confined to the northern Cape York Peninsula, from Pormpuraaw on the west coast to Princess Charlotte Bay on the east. In New Guinea, it is widespread and tolerant of degraded forest habitats, mostly in the lowlands and foothills but occasionally up to 1,350 m.

Threats In some parts of its range, the woodland habitat in which hollow trees occur is being invaded by rainforest. The fire which maintains the rainforest/woodland ecotone also has the potential to reduce hollow availability if managed incorrectly, particularly where rainforest is stable or contracting (Garnett and Crowley 2000).

References Garnett and Crowley 2000

Text account compilers Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Matt Harding (BirdLife International)

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Probosciger aterrimus. 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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