This discussion was first published on Dec 1 2010 as part of the 2011 Red List update, but remains open for comment to enable reassessment in 2013.
Link to BirdLife species factsheet for Long-tailed Woodnymph
Long-tailed Woodnymph Thalurania watertonii is listed as Near Threatened under criterion B1a+b(i,ii,iii,iv,v) on the basis that it was thought to have a moderately small range in northeastern Brazil, within which its habitat is severely fragmented and its population is suspected to be declining owing to habitat loss.
The species’s Extent of Occurrence has now been updated and is estimated at 34,800 km2 (calculated from the area over which the species is considered extant or probably extant), which no longer approaches the threshold for Vulnerable under the B1 criterion. This suggests that the species is eligible for downlisting to Least Concern.
BirdLife range map for Long-tailed Woodnymph
The accurate assessment of this species’s threat category is hindered by an apparent lack of information on its population size and trend. The species is suspected to be in decline owing to widespread deforestation, which is severe in some areas, although it is noted that the species will accept altered habitats as long as forest patches or stands of trees remain.
Up-to-date information is requested on this species’s likely population size, current rate of decline over 12 years (estimate of three generations) and severity of habitat loss and degradation, to help in the evaluation of its status.
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