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). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to 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 Alaudidae

Species name author (Forster, 1767)

Taxonomic source(s) AERC TAC (2003), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

50,000 - 420,000

unset

2,090,000 km²

No

Range & population This species has a large global population, including an estimated 4,000-7,000 pairs in Europe, in south-eastern European Russia, which accounts for less than a quarter of its global range². Populations in the most suitable habitat in central Kazakhstan have been estimated to be in the "hundreds of thousands, and maybe even millions of breeding pairs"¹. Interpretation of the limited available information on population trends is complicated by the species's nomadic nature and large interannual fluctuations in abundance and distribution. The European population declined by 20-50% during 1970-1990, and over 50% during 1990-2000, as a result of steppe cultivation and overgrazing^2,7. In the Volgograd Region (Russia and western Kazakhstan), there has been a steady decrease in the species's numbers from the mid-1960s to 2000⁵. Spring surveys in the Uzen Limans area (western Kazakhstan) revealed declines exceeding 99% between 1985 and 1995⁶. In parts of the Kostanay region (northern Kazakhstan), where the species was once widespread and numerous, its distribution and abundance have decreased noticeably over the past 25 years, and in 2005 large numbers were seen in only two areas³. However, in other areas of north-central Kazakhstan, the species was relatively common in 2005, especially in the taller steppe vegetation^1,4. In summary, in Kazakhstan, the species appears to have a relatively stable population and is common in suitable habitats (although not dispersed evenly, with empty areas)⁸. In wintering areas in Uzbekistan, numbers are weather-dependent, but generally stable⁸.

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

Threats The species is threatened by the loss of steppe to cultivation and livestock farming (del Hoyo et al. 2004).

References 1. Timothy Barabashin in litt. (2005). 2. BirdLife International (2004a). 3. Evgeny Bragin and Todd Katzner in litt. (2005). 4. Paul Donald in litt. (2005). 5. Lindeman and Lopushkov (2004). 6. V. Mosejikin in litt. (2005). 7. Tucker and Heath (1994). 8. unpublished expert communications to S. Sklyarenko (2005).

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), John Pilgrim (BirdLife International)

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Melanocorypha yeltoniensis. 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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