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Madagascar Plover Charadrius thoracicus

IUCN Red List Criteria

Critically Endangered  
Endangered  
Vulnerable C2a(i) 

IUCN Red List history

Year Category
2012 Vulnerable
2008 Vulnerable
2006 Vulnerable
2004 Vulnerable
2000 Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1996 Vulnerable
1994 Vulnerable
1988 Threatened

Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency Low
Land mass type shelf island
 Average mass -

Distribution

  Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) 11,100 medium
Number of locations -
Fragmentation -

Population & trend

  Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
No. of mature individuals 1800-2300 medium Estimated 2007
Population trend Decreasing medium -
Number of subpopulations 2-100 - - -
Largest subpopulation 251-1000 - - -
Generation length (yrs) 5.2 - - -
Population justification: The population has recently been estimated at 3,100 ±177; 396 (SE) individuals through the modelling of observed densities at suitable sites across an estimate of the total area of habitat above a defined suitability threshold. The standard error range is rounded to the nearest 100 and used as the population range estimate: 2,700-3,500 individuals, roughly equivalent to 1,800-2,300 mature individuals.
Trend justification: The population of this habitat specialist, which exhibits low productivity and inflexible breeding behaviour (S. Zefania et al. in litt. 2007), is suspected to be declining in line with levels of habitat loss and degradation. The likely rate of population decline has not been estimated.

Country/Territory distribution

Country/Territory Occurrence status Extinct Breeding Non-breeding Passage
Madagascar Native No      

Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria

Country/Territory IBA Name IBA link
Madagascar Baly Bay National Park site factsheet
Madagascar Bemamba Wetland Complex site factsheet
Madagascar Manambolomaty wetland complex and Tsimembo Classified Forest site factsheet
Madagascar Mangoky - Ankazoabo Forest SAPM site factsheet
Madagascar Southwestern Coastal Wetlands and Nosy Manitse site factsheet
Madagascar Tambohorano wetland Complex site factsheet
Madagascar Tsimanampetsotsa National Park site factsheet
Madagascar Wetlands of the Tsiribihina delta and upper Tsiribihina river site factsheet

Habitats & altitude

Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level suitable resident
Marine Coastal/Supratidal Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes major resident
Marine Intertidal Mud Flats and Salt Flats marginal resident
Marine Intertidal Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) suitable resident
Marine Intertidal Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc marginal resident
Altitude 0 - 28 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact

Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & Aquaculture Marine & freshwater aquaculture / Subsistence/artisinal aquaculture Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Decline Medium Impact:
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals / Intentional use (species is the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) No decline Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases Problematic native species/diseases Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Unknown Unknown Unknown
Stresses
Competition

Utilisation

Purpose Primary form used Life stage used Source Scale Level Timing
Food (human) Whole Adults and juveniles Wild Subsistence, National Non-trivial Recent
Sport Whole Adults and juveniles Wild Subsistence, National Non-trivial Recent

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Charadrius thoracicus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013.

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.

Key facts
Current IUCN Red List category Vulnerable
Family Charadriidae (Plovers)
Species name author (Richmond, 1896)
Population size 1800-2300 mature individuals
Population trend Decreasing
Distribution size (breeding/resident) 11,100 km2
Country endemic? Yes
Links to further information
- Summary information on this species