Species

Justification
This enigmatic primary forest specialist is thought to have a moderately small population, which is highly localised in throughout its small range and thought to be declining owing to habitat degradation. It is therefore classified as Near Threatened. Should the population be found to be smaller, or declining more rapidly, the species would warrant uplisting to a higher threat category.

Taxonomic source(s)
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.

Distribution and population
Poecilodryas placens is very patchily distributed in New Guinea (Papua, formerly Irian Jaya, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea). It has been recorded from Batanta Island, Wandammen Mountains, Fakfak Mountains, Kumawa Mountains, Weyland Mountains, Keku near Madang, Lake Kutubu, Mt Bosavi, Karimui, and a number of sites in Central Province (Diamond 1985, Beehler et al. 1986, Coates 1990). The one well-known site, at Veimauri, near Port Moresby, is being logged (P. Gregory in litt. 1994). There are new recent records from Crater Mountain (A. Mack in litt. 1999), where it is patchily abundant, and in limestone hill forest from Moro to Gobe, Gulf Province, where it is locally common (K. D. Bishop in litt. 1999). It may prove to be more widespread through the central mountains but is believed to be absent from many intervening areas (Diamond 1985).

Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as locally fairly common to common (del Hoyo et al. 2007).

Trend justification
There are no data on population trends; however, the species is suspected to be in slow decline owing to habitat degradation.

Ecology
It is a hill forest species, occurring between 100 and 1,450 m; it is often more common at lower altitudes. It occupies primary forest and frequents shady areas with an open understorey.

Threats
Although the small total population may be isolated into sub-populations, some of which may be threatened by logging, its extensive and often inaccessible range suggests that there may be more, safe sub-populations yet to be discovered.

Conservation actions underway
None is known.

Conservation actions proposed
Regularly monitor the population at selected sites. Protect significant areas of primary forest, both at sites where it is known to occur, and more extensively within its known range. Conduct searches to discover additional sub-populations.

References
Diamond, J. M. 1985. New distributional records and taxa from the outlying mountain ranges of New Guinea. Emu 85: 65-91.

Beehler, B. M.; Pratt, T. K.; Zimmerman, D. A. 1986. Birds of New Guinea. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Coates, B. J. 1990. The birds of Papua New Guinea, 2: passerines. Dove, Alderley, Australia.

Further web sources of information
Detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001).

Hear sounds for this species from xeno-canto, the community database of shared bird sounds from around the world.

View photos and videos, and hear sounds of this species from the Internet Bird Collection

Text account compilers
Benstead, P., Derhé, M., Dutson, G., Mahood, S.

Contributors
Bishop, K., Gregory, P., Mack, A.

IUCN Red List evaluators
Butchart, S., Symes, A.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Poecilodryas placens. 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.