| 2009 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Near Threatened Justification This species is estimated to be undergoing a moderately rapid population decline. It therefore qualifies as Near Threatened.
Family/Sub-family Otididae Species name author (Children, 1826) Taxonomic source(s) AERC TAC (2003), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993) |
Population estimate | Population trend | Range estimate (breeding/resident) | Country endemic? | unknown | decreasing | 8,380,000 km2 | No |
Range & population Neotis denhami occurs in southern Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mali, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Angola, Malawi, Zambia (a stronghold), Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, the extreme southern tip of Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Although very widely distributed, it has suffered population declines through much, if not all, of its range8. The Rift Valley in Kenya was formerly regarded as its stronghold, but there are now probably fewer than 300 in all of Kenya1, and its range has contracted in this country9. It is considered common in Central African Republic and parts of Uganda, but there have been declines in Sudan and Nigeria9. In South Africa, the total Transvaal breeding population only numbers c.300 birds, and the South Cape Province winter population is an estimated 956 birds9.
| Ecology: Found up to 3,000 m9. It inhabits grasslands, grassy Acacia-studded dunes, fairly dense shrubland, light woodland, farmland, crops, dried marsh and arid scrub plains, also grass-covered ironstone pans and burnt savanna woodland in Sierra Leone and high rainfall sour grassveld, planted pastures and cereal croplands in fynbos in South Africa9. It feeds on insects, small vertebrates and plant material2,3. The breeding season is variable and consequently unclear, perhaps indicating opportunism in reaction to rainfall9. The clutch-size is one or two9.
| Threats Hunting is the primary cause of declines across the Sahel5 and throughout West Africa2,4,7. In eastern and southern Africa, hunting is also a problem6, but the main threat appears to be conversion of grassland and light woodland to agriculture2,7.
| | Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II.
| | Conservation measures proposed Conduct surveys to establish an estimate for the entire population. Carry out regular surveys to measure population trends. Monitor the rate of habitat loss, especially in Kenya and South Africa. Test the use of alternatives to reduce hunting, such as ecotourism. Protect habitat and enforce hunting bans in reserves.
| References 1. L. Bennun in litt. (1999). 2. Collar (1996). 3. T. Dodman in litt. (1999). 4. P. Hall in litt. (1999). 5. Newby (1990). 6. Parker (1999). 7. Turner and Goriup (1989). 8. Urban et al. (1986). 9. del Hoyo et al. (1996).
| Text account compilers Mike Evans (BirdLife International), Andrew O'Brien (BirdLife International), John Pilgrim (BirdLife International), Pete Robertson (BirdLife International), Joe Taylor (BirdLife International) | Contributors Leon Bennun (BirdLife International), Joost Brouwer (Wageningen University), Margaret Carswell, Tim Dodman (Wetlands International), Robert J. Dowsett, Francoise Dowsett-Lemaire, Philip Hall (Pro Natura International), P Murphy, Stephanie Tyler (BirdLife Botswana) | IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Joe Taylor (BirdLife International) |
| Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Neotis denhami. 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 |
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