Iduna pallida | UAE National Red List of Birds

Taxa
Iduna pallida | (Ehrenberg, 1833)
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
Iduna pallida (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) was previously listed as Hippolais pallida.
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
The majority of occurrences of this species within the UAE is of migrant individuals on passage to and from the breeding grounds, with highest numbers in March-May and in August-September (Pedersen et al. 2017). A small population is breeding on Abu Dhabi Island (Pedersen et al. 2017), and it potentially may be breeding along the east coast too. Rare occurrences in winter suggest that at least a part of this population is resident in the country (Jennings 2010, 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
The species is found in areas of trees (mostly tamarisk) and bushes, often close to water bodies. It also occupies parks and gardens with dense canopy trees, date groves and stands of Mesquite Prosopis juliflora and acacia (Jennings 2010). It avoids arid, sandy environments (Jennings 2010). It forages in the higher branches and the canopy of trees. Its diet comprises mainly of invertebrates, but also some fruit in winter (Jennings 2010). The breeding season starts in April, with juveniles hatching mostly in May-July (Jennings 2010). Clutches consist of three to four eggs. The nest is a strong cup of plant stems and soft twigs, lined with plant down fur and placed in fork of branch, commonly of tamarisk (Svensson 2006, Jennings 2010). The species might be double-brooded in the UAE, but this has yet to be confirmed (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
A2ac+4ac; C1+2a(i,ii); D
Assessment rationale/justification
After its initial colonisation of the UAE this species increased its population quickly. However, over recent years the species appears to have declined dramatically, such that there could only be a tiny breeding population remaining within the UAE. The species is therefore listed here as Critically Endangered under criteria A2ac+4ac; C1+2a(i,ii); D.
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
Within the UAE degradation of its habitat is the main threat to the species (Aspinall 1996). However, any individuals that might visit the country as non-breeders (e.g. on passage) are affected by a range of other threats (see BirdLife International 2015). For instance, the clearance and burning of bushes, groves and hedges, and the drainage of of land for agricultural expansion has intensified within its European range, while pesticide use there may also adversely affect populations (BirdLife International 2015).
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
It is assessed that in 1996, the national Red List category for this species would have been the same (CR). However, the species at the time is thought to have had a tiny population size that was increasing, whilst it has declined rapidly recently. Therefore, the criteria string for the backcast assessment in 1996 is assessed to have been only criterion D.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Iduna pallida Animalia Chordata Aves Passeriformes Acrocephalidae Iduna