Lilac-cheeked Kingfisher (Cittura cyanotis) is being split: list both C. cyanotis and C. sanghirensis as Near Threatened?

This is part of a consultation on the Red List implications of extensive changes to BirdLife’s taxonomy for non-passerines

Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International will soon publish the HBW-BirdLife Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, building off the Handbook of the Birds of the World series, and BirdLife’s annually updated taxonomic checklist.

The new Checklist will be based on the application of criteria for recognising species limits described by Tobias et al. (2010). Full details of the specific scores and the basis of these for each new taxonomic revision will be provided in the Checklist.

Following publication, an open and transparent mechanism will be established to allow people to comment on the taxonomic revisions or suggest new ones, and provide new information of relevance in order to inform regular updates. We are also actively seeking input via a discussion topic here regarding some potential taxonomic revisions that currently lack sufficient information.

The new Checklist will form the taxonomic basis of BirdLife’s assessments of the status of the world’s birds for the IUCN Red List. The taxonomic changes that will appear in volume 1 of the checklist (for non-passerines) will begin to be incorporated into the 2013 Red List update, with the remainder, and those for passerines (which will appear in volume 2 of the checklist), to be incorporated into subsequent Red List updates.

Preliminary Red List assessments have been carried out for the newly split or lumped taxa. We are now requesting comments and feedback on these preliminary assessments.

Lilac-cheeked Kingfiher Cittura cyanotis has been split into C. cyanotis and C. sanghirensis following the application of criteria set out by Tobias et al. (2010).

Prior to this taxonomic change, C. cyanotis (BirdLife species factsheet) was listed as Near Threatened under criteria A2c+3c+4c; C1, on the basis that it was thought to have a moderately small population that was suspected to be undergoing a moderately rapid population decline (approaching 30% over three generations [c.17 years]) on the basis of on-going habitat loss and degradation.

C. cyanotis (as defined following the taxonomic change and incorporating modesta) occurs in north-eastern, central-eastern and south-eastern Sulawesi and Lembeh Island, where it inhabits primary and tall secondary lowland, foothill and lower montane forest (Fry and Fry 1999, del Hoyo et al. 2001). It may warrant listing as Near Threatened under criteria A2c+3c+4c;C1, on the basis that it is thought to have a moderately small population, which could be in moderately rapid decline (approaching 30% over three generations [c.17 years]) owing to on-going habitat loss.

C. sanghirensis inhabits similar forest types on Sangihe and Siau (Fry and Fry 1999, del Hoyo et al. 2001). It may warrant listing as Near Threatened under criteria B1ab(ii,iii,v); C2a(i), on the basis that it has a very small range (with an Extent of Occurrence estimated at c.670 km²), in which suitable habitat is not severely fragmented, but may be very fragmented (approaching 50% in patches too small to support viable populations) and is in decline, and it probably has a small population (fewer than 10,000 mature individuals), which is inferred to be in decline, but the species is not thought to have a defined subpopulation structure that increases its susceptibility to extinction.

Comments on these suggested categories are invited and further information would be welcomed.

References:

del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. and Sargatal, J. (2001) Handbook of the birds of the world, Vol 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions.

Fry, C. H. and Fry, K. (1999) Kingfishers, bee-eaters & rollers. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Tobias, J. A., Seddon, N., Spottiswoode, C. N., Pilgrim, J. D., Fishpool, L. D. C. and Collar, N. J. (2010) Quantitative criteria for species delimitation. Ibis 152: 724–746.

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2. Scaly Kingfisher (Actenoides princeps) is being split: list A. regalis as Vulnerable and A. princeps as Near Threatened?
3. Tahiti Kingfisher (Todiramphus veneratus) is being split: list T. youngi as Endangered?