Justification This poorly known species is classified as Near Threatened because it is thought to have a moderately small population and is restricted to very low lying forest. These areas are being rapidly converted to oil palm plantations and the population is undoubtedly declining.

Family/Sub-family Psittacidae

Species name author Sclater, 1877

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

Identification

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

10,000-19,999

decreasing

-

Yes

Range & population Loriculus tener is endemic to New Britain, New Ireland and New Hanover (= Lavongai) in Papua New Guinea. It is, and appears always to have been, a rare species but it is unobtrusive and likely to have been overlooked. The few recent records have been from forest edge, where it is more easily observed^1,2,3,4,5,6.

Ecology: It inhabits lowland rainforest to about 500 m, although mostly below 200 m. It is not known whether it can breed in degraded habitats.

Threats Most of the accessible lowland forests in its range have been logged or are under logging concessions. On New Britain, lowland forest clearance for conversion to oil palm plantations has been intense in recent decades and the island accounts for approximately half of Papua New Guinea's timber exports¹. On that island nearly 20% of habitat suitable for this species has been cleared in the last 10 years and this trend is ongoing¹. If it proves to be unable to survive in logged forest, it would be threatened on account of its small population and the rate of habitat degradation across its range.

Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II.

Conservation measures proposed Identify and effectively protect a network of reserves, including some containing large areas of unlogged lowland forest and some large community based conservation areas. Continue to monitor trends in forest loss. Research its tolerance of degraded forest. Monitor populations in a number of primary forest and degraded forest sites on the islands.

References 1. K.D. Bishop in litt. (1996). 2. G. Dutson pers. obs. (1997-1998). 3. C. Eastwood in litt. (1999). 4. Gilliard and LeCroy (1967). 5. Mayr (1934). 6. J. Pilgrim in litt. (1999).

Text account compilers Guy Dutson (Birds Australia), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International), Andrew O'Brien (BirdLife International)

Contributors K. David Bishop (VENT Bird Tours), C Eastwood, John Pilgrim (BirdLife International)

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Loriculus tener. 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.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums