BirdLife species factsheet for Crimson-hooded Myzomela
Crimson-hooded Myzomela Myzomela kuehni is restricted to the island of Wetar, Indonesia. It is currently classified as Near Threatened, approaching the thresholds for Vulnerable under criterion C1+2a(i), because it was thought to have a moderately small population which was suspected to be suffering slow declines owing to habitat loss.
However, recent information suggests that the species may have a larger population size than previously thought. It was recorded regularly in tropical forest and was frequent in Eucalyptus woodland during a recent survey of the island (Trainor et al. 2009). The population size is likely to be substantial (C. Trainor in litt. 2012), crudely estimated at 200,000-300,000 pairs (Trainor et al. 2009). Furthermore, a recent record/report from nearby Alor may represent another population of this species, or possibly another species altogether (C. Trainor in litt. 2012). If this evidence is confirmed, the Crimon-hooded Myzomela would no longer approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population criterion, and would warrant downlising to Least Concern.
Further information is requested on this species’s population size, trends and distribution, and comments on the proposed downlisting are welcome.
Reference:
Trainor, C. R., Imanuddin, Aldy, F., Verbelen, P. and Walker, J. S. (2009) The birds of Wetar, Banda Sea: one of Indonesia’s forgotten islands. Birding ASIA 12: 78-93.
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