Curruca mystacea | UAE National Red List of Birds

Taxa
Curruca mystacea | (Ménétries, 1832)
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
Previously placed in Sylvia;(del Hoyo and Collar 2016) but moved to current genus following Cai et al. (2019). Geographical variation at least partly clinal; nominate subspecies grades into turcmenica in N Iran, but evidence for intergradation otherwise scant or not conclusive. Three subspecies recognized.
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species is common in the UAE during migration to and from the breeding grounds. Numbers are highest between late September and May (Pedersen et al. 2017). Individuals migrating through or wintering in the UAE breed from Turkey to Kazakhstan.
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species inhabits sparsely wooded areas and broken country, like woodland, areas of scattered trees, riparian forests, thorn scrubs and thickets, cuttings, parks and gardens (Richardson 1990, Aspinall and Porter 2011). There is no information available about its diet in the UAE; elsewhere it feeds mainly on small arthropods, especially insects and their larvae and eggs, but also takes various berries, fruits and seeds (Aymí and Gargallo 2015). The species is migratory; it breeds in south-western Eurasia and winters from north-east Africa to Arabia and southern Iran (Snow and Perrins 1998).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Near Threatened
Assessment status abreviation
NT
Assessment status criteria
D1
Assessment rationale/justification
The small non-breeding population size of this species in the UAE means that the species triggers the threshold for Vulnerable under Criterion D1. However, with conditions not deemed to be deteriorating significantly, and there being a good likelihood for a rescue effect for this population, a regional adjustment has been made. The species is, therefore, listed as Near Threatened under Criterion D1 instead.
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
There are not thought to be any current significant threats to this species, however, overgrazing outside of Protected Areas may have an impact on this species.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
This species has increased its population size since 1996 due to increasing availability of suitable habitat, and it is suspected that the population size (accounting for regional adjustments) may have been sufficiently small in 1996 that it would have warranted a listing as Vulnerable under criterion D1 then, whereas now (2019) it is assessed as Near Threatened.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Curruca mystacea Animalia Chordata Aves Passeriformes Sylviidae Curruca