Circus macrourus | UAE National Red List of Birds

Taxa
Circus macrourus | (Gmelin, 1770)
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
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species occurs throughout the UAE during passage to and from the breeding grounds. A small population overwinters in the country, when it may occur over large parts of the country (Pedersen et al. 2017).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species is found in open habitat, favouring steppe, grassland, agricultural fields and sandy desert (Aspinall and Porter 2011). The species is migratory, with most birds wintering in sub-Saharan Africa or south-east Asia. Birds occur in the UAE between September and March, occasionally until April, and mainly breed in the steppes of southern Russia (Richardson 1990). Birds migrate on a broad front, with only minor concentrations at bottleneck sites (del Hoyo et al. 1994, Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001). Although birds are most often seen singly, females and juveniles can form parties of 10-15 individuals on migration (Snow and Perrins 1998, Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001). Birds fly at c.1-9 m above the ground when hunting (del Hoyo et al. 1994, Snow and Perrins 1998) and fly generally higher on migration, but tend to remain from c.1-15 m above the ground (Brown et al. 1982).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Endangered
Assessment status abreviation
EN
Assessment status criteria
D
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a very small non-breeding population in the UAE, which qualifies it for listing as Endangered. On a global scale, the species is listed as Near Threatened due to a moderately rapid population decline. Therefore, breeding populations outside of the country may not have a large rescue effect. The population trend within the country is not known. Given the global situation, the species is retained as Endangered at the national level.
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
As a migratory species, the population of Pallid Harrier that visits UAE may be impacted by threats within the country and outside of it. Within its breeding range, the species is primarily threatened by the destruction and degradation of steppe grasslands through conversion to arable land, burning of vegetation, intensive grazing of wet pastures and the clearance of shrubs and tall weeds (Galushin et al. 2003, E. Bragin in litt. 2007). Fires are started by farmers, arsonists and dry thunderstorms(E. Bragin in litt. 2007). Outside of its breeding grounds, the species is thought to be negatively affected by the loss of grassland due to burning, cutting and overgrazing (Galushin;et al.;2003) and by the intensification of agriculture (R. Simmons in litt. 1999, Galushin et al. 2003), although this requires further research; and the latter is not deemed to be a particular threat within the UAE.
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
Circus macrourus Animalia Chordata Aves Accipitriformes Accipitridae Circus