Justification This species is classified as Near Threatened because it is suspected to be declining moderately rapidly owing to habitat loss.

Family/Sub-family Picidae

Species name author Todd, 1919

Taxonomic source(s) SACC (2005 + updates), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

decreasing

79,800 km²

No

Range & population Veniliornis chocoensis occurs on the Pacific coast, from extreme west Antioquia and Chocó, west Colombia, south to Esmeraldas, north-west Ecuador^2,3,5, and appears to be rare throughout its range.

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

Ecology: It is poorly known, but has been recorded in lowland evergreen forest and forest edge up to 1,000 m ⁵.

Threats Unplanned colonisation following the completion of roads and massive logging concessions have cleared or degraded over 40% of its Chocó forests, and deforestation is accelerating^4,6. Currently, intensive logging, human settlement, cattle-grazing, mining and coca and palm cultivation pose threats, with deforestation most severe in its altitudinal range^1,7.

Conservation measures underway It occurs in El Pangán Reserve, Colombia; and Cotocachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve and Bilsa in Ecuador.

Conservation measures proposed Effectively protect and manage protected areas where the species occurs. Monitor population at strongholds and search for the species in potentially suitable habitat at new sites. Study its ecology and its ability to persist in degraded and fragmented habitats. Use GIS habitat loss data to produce estimate of declines.

References 1. Dinerstein et al. (1995). 2. Hilty and Brown (1986). 3. Norton et al. (1972). 4. Salaman (1994). 5. Sibley and Monroe (1990). 6. Stattersfield et al. (1998). 7. Wege and Long (1995). 8. del Hoyo et al. (2002).

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), David Capper (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Veniliornis chocoensis. 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.

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