Aquila fasciata | UAE National Red List of Birds

Taxa
Aquila fasciata | (Vieillot, 1822)
Publication
UAE National Red List of Birds
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Birds
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxonomic Notes
Aquila fasciata (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) was previously listed as;A. fasciatus.
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
A small number is resident in the mountainous region in the north-eastern part of the UAE (Richardson 1990, Pedersen;et al.;2017). The majority of records of this species in the UAE are likely to be of visiting individuals, which spend the non-breeding season in the central and northern part of the country (Pedersen et al. 2017), although these may refer to dispersing juveniles (see Porter et al. 1996), which would not count towards a Red List assessment.
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The species inhabits mountainous and rocky habitats, forested foothills and open country interspersed with trees and bushes (Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). During winter, it is also found on plains and in semi-desert (Aspinall and Porter 2011). In summer, juveniles move to wetlands, irrigated fields and sewage ponds (Jennings 2010). Its diet principally comprises small or medium-sized birds, mammals and reptiles (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001, Jennings 2010). The species identifies prey during soaring flights, then approaches it hidden by tree and bush cover, before surprising it with a bounding flight (Jennings 2010). The species is monogamous and territorial throughout the year. The breeding period in the UAE probably lasts from January to June (Jennings 2010). The nest is a large platform with a shallow cup lined with soft material. It is placed on a remote cliff ledge, sometimes hidden in a rock crevice (Jennings 2010). Usually, clutches contain two eggs, but only one chick survives until fledging (Jennings 2010).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Critically Endangered
Assessment status abreviation
CR
Assessment status criteria
A4acd; C1+2a(i,ii); D
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a very small and rapidly declining breeding population in the UAE, which qualify it for listing as Critically Endangered.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2019
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
A number of threats have been highlighted for outside of UAE, which could have an impact within the country.;Juveniles suffer high mortality from collisions with power lines (Rollan;et al. 2010). Declining prey availability, increasing human disturbance and poaching at nest sites, and agricultural intensification are thought to be key factors in the species's global decline (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001, Orta;et al.;2016). It was affected by pesticide use in the mid-20<sup>th</sup>;century, and since then populations have not recovered to their pre-organochlorine levels, although within the UAE itself this is not thought to be a significant threat.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
It is assessed that in 1996, the national Red List status of this species would have been the same as in this assessment.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Aquila fasciata Animalia Chordata Aves Accipitriformes Accipitridae Aquila