Justification This species is likely to be experiencing a moderately rapid reduction in population size as logging intensifies within its range. It is therefore classified as Near Threatened.

Family/Sub-family Monarchidae

Species name author Ramsay, 1879

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

Taxonomic note Monarcha malaitae has tentatively been referred to as a separate species from M. barbatus ((Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993, Coates et al. 2006), but Filardi & Smith (2005) merely indicate the need for further work, so the split is not accepted here.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

unknown

decreasing

-

No

Range & population Monarcha barbatus occurs in two races, barbatus is endemic to Bougainville in Papua New Guinea and Choiseul, Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal, and other small islands in the Solomon Islands, while malaitae is restricted to Malaita (Solomon Islands). It is a relatively uncommon species throughout its range and apparently has little tolerance of degraded forest.

Ecology: It occurs in primary and old-growth secondary forest to 1,000 m, occasionally to 1,350 m ^1,2,3,4,5,6.

Threats Large areas of the lowland forest across the region have been logged or are under logging concession but as much of the population is in the hills, this species is probably declining at a moderate rate.

Conservation measures underway None is known.

Conservation measures proposed Regularly monitor the population at certain sites. Research its tolerance of degraded forest. Set aside and protect significant areas of remaining primary forest from logging on all islands where it occurs. Further investigate the taxonomic status of the two races.

References 1. Buckingham et al. (1995). 2. Cain and Galbraith (1956). 3. Coates (1990). 4. G. Dutson pers. obs. (1997, 1998). 5. Schodde (1977). 6. Webb (1992).

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

Contributors Guy Dutson (Birds Australia)

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Monarcha barbatus. 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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