Justification This species has an extremely 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). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not 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 Recurvirostridae

Species name author (Linnaeus, 1758)

Taxonomic source(s) AERC TAC (2003), AOU checklist (1998 + supplements), Christidis and Boles (2008), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Taxonomic note Himantopus himantopus and H. leucocephalus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993), cross-regional species, are retained as separate species contra Christidis and Boles (1994) and Turbott (1990) who include leucocephalus as a subpecies of H. himantopus.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

450,000 - 780,000

unset

30,800,000 km²

No

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

Ecology: Behaviour Northern populations of this species make long-distance migratory movements, travelling southwards to their wintering grounds between August and November and returning to their breeding areas between March and April². In more temperate regions the species is sedentary or only locally dispersive however¹. The species breeds solitarily or in loose colonies of 2-50 or occasionally up to several hundred pairs^{1, 4}. It is typically a gregarious species, occurring in small groups⁶ (up to 15 individuals)^{1, 4} or larger flocks of several hundred up to a thousand individuals on migration, during the winter^{4, 6} and at nightly roosts⁴. Habitat Breeding The species typically breeds in shallow freshwater and brackish wetlands with sand, mud or clay substrates and open margins, islets or spits near water level⁶. Suitable habitats include marshes and swamps, shallow lake edges, riverbeds, flooded fields¹, irrigated areas⁶, sewage ponds¹ and fish-ponds⁶. The species may also breed around alkaline and high-altitude (montane) lakes¹ or in more saline environments such as river deltas, estuaries⁶, coastal lagoons^{3, 6} and shallow coastal pools with extensive areas of mudflats, salt meadows³, saltpans, coastal marshes¹ and swamps⁶. Non-breeding Outside of the breeding season the species occupies the shores of large inland waterbodies and estuarine or coastal habitats¹ such as river deltas⁶, coastal lagoons^{3, 6} and shallow freshwater or brackish pools with extensive areas of mudflats, salt meadows³, saltpans, coastal marshes¹ and swamps⁶. Diet Its diet is strongly seasonal¹ but generally includes adult and larval aquatic insects (e.g. Coleoptera, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Hemiptera, Odonata, Diptera, Neuroptera and Lepidoptera), molluscs, crustaceans, spiders, oligochaete and polychaete worms, tadpoles¹ and amphibian spawn⁴, small fish, fish eggs¹ and occasionally seeds⁴. Breeding site The nest is a depression⁵ or shallow scrape positioned on hard ground near water on a hummock⁵ or amongst grass and sedge¹. Alternatively the nest may be a more elaborate platform of vegetation⁶ constructed on a floating mass of aquatic vegetation¹. The species nests singly or in loose colonies¹, showing a preference for open areas close to foraging sites with good all-round (360 degree) visibility³.

Threats The species is susceptible to avian influenza⁷ and avian botulism^{8, 9} so may be threatened by future outbreaks of these diseases.

References 1. del Hoyo et al. (1996). 2. Hayman et al. (1986). 3. Johnsgard (1981). 4. Urban et al. (1986). 5. Flint et al. (1984). 6. Snow and Perrins (1998). 7. Melville and Shortridge (2006). 8. Blaker (1967). 9. van Heerden (1974).

Further web sources of information

Detailed species account from Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status (BirdLife International 2004)

Text account compilers Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Lucy Malpas (BirdLife International)

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Himantopus himantopus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 6/9/2010

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