Justification This species is Vulnerable because it has a small population, which is likely to be declining as a result of excessive cutting and lopping of trees for charcoal, firewood and fodder.

Family/Sub-family Picidae

Species name author (Bates & Kinnear, 1935)

Taxonomic source(s) Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Synonyms Picoides dorae Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Picoides dorae Collar and Andrew (1988)

Identification 18 cm. Rather small, olive-brown woodpecker with white bars across wings and red patch on rear of head of male. Both sexes show pale red patch down centre of belly. Voice Accelerating, then descending, kek-kek-kek-kek-kek-kek is the most frequently heard call. Variable pweek pit-pit-pit-pit-pit-pit-pit given between members of pair. Hints Only woodpecker breeding in Arabia. Typical woodpecker undulating flight. Drums feebly and only occasionally.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

2,500-9,999

decreasing

130,000 km²

No

Range & population Dendrocopos dorae occurs locally in the Red Sea foothills and western ramparts of south-west Arabia⁹, from 13°N in Yemen to 26°N in Saudi Arabia⁴. It is generally uncommon to rare where it occurs - the few population data^2,6 suggest that local densities are probably equivalent to 0.1-1.0 mature individuals per km². The total population is therefore inferred to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals.

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

Ecology: It inhabits woodland, which now occurs only in residual fragments throughout its range, following millennia of settlement, cultivation and livestock-grazing. It occurs in a wide variety of woodland-types, including: groves of fig Ficus, date-palm Phoenix or pandan Pandanus at lower altitudes; subtropical, evergreen riparian forest; traditional shade-coffee plantations and well-developed succulent shrubland at middle-altitudes; woods, groves and parklands of Acacia, Juniperus, Olea and Dracaena at higher altitudes (often on slopes terraced for agriculture); and old-established orchards in the highlands^3,5,6,10. Breeding records (February-May) are restricted to the highlands (1,450-2,400 m)^3,7,10. The nest-site is a small hole excavated in the trunk or major branch of a large tree (generally in dead wood or in a soft-wooded species).

Threats Lopping, cutting and wholesale clearance of trees, for charcoal and firewood (especially in Yemen^1,8) and for building/agricultural land (mainly in Saudi Arabia⁶), are widespread and intensifying within the species's range, are likely to preferentially target nest-trees¹⁰, and are known to have reduced the number of large trees at some sites since the late 1980s¹. Abandonment of agricultural terraces at mid-altitudes is leading to massive loss of top-soil and degradation of terrace woodlands⁸. A lack of tree regeneration, owing to high levels of grazing and browsing by livestock, has been observed at several sites and may be a problem.

Conservation measures underway There are many traditional rangeland reserves (mahjur) in south-west Arabia, where the vegetation (including trees) is protected by private or communal ownership-rights from excessive exploitation, in order to provide fodder in times of drought⁸. However, the management of these areas has been widely neglected or abandoned since the advent of more convenient supplies of supplemental feed⁸. The species occurs in at least two protected areas in Saudi Arabia: Raydah Reserve and Asir National Park⁶.

Conservation measures proposed Encourage non-intensive agroforestry practices. Conduct a comprehensive population census and more extensive survey of potentially suitable sites. Promote the species as a flagship for strengthening the degree of protection of several sites in Saudi Arabia.

References 1. Beck (1990). 2. Davidson (1996). 3. Everett (1987). 4. Jennings (1995). 5. King (1978). 6. Newton and Newton (1996). 7. Porter et al. (1996). 8. Scholte et al. (1991). 9. Winkler et al. (1995). 10. Winkler et al. (1996).

Text account compilers Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International), Rod Martins (BirdLife International)

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Dendrocopos dorae. 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.

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