Ptyonoprogne obsoleta | UAE National Red List of Birds

Taxa
Ptyonoprogne obsoleta | (Cabanis, 1850)
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
Ptyonoprogne obsoleta (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) was previously listed as Hirundo obsoleta.
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species is a common resident of the mountains and foothills in the northern part of the country (Pedersen et al. 2017). Since the 1980s, the species has been expanding its range westward and colonised buildings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi (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
This species occurs in hilly country with rocks, gorges and ravines, caves and cliffs (Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It is habituated to human presence and regularly occurs in towns and cities, where concrete and high-rise buildings offer attractive nesting sites (Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). The species favours arid environments and avoids forested and humid areas (Jennings 2010). It occurs in pairs during the breeding season, but forms small flocks of up to 30 individuals during winter; these flocks range far away from the breeding areas and are regularly found over wetlands with high food availability (Jennings 2010). It feeds almost exclusively on flying insects (Jennings 2010). The breeding season is highly synchronized among years and regions and always peaks between February and April, when two to four eggs are laid (Jennings 2010). Nests are cups constructed of mud, which is collected from damp soils or puddles, and are lined with feathers, grass, hair, sheep's wool and thin plant downs (Jennings 2010). They are attached to vertical surfaces, e.g. in rock crevices and caves, under rock protrusions, but are increasingly placed on man-made structures like concrete buildings (Jennings 2010). Nests can be re-used in consecutive years (Jennings 2010).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Least Concern
Assessment status abreviation
LC
Assessment rationale/justification
Despite having a potentially fairly small population size, the resident population is deemed to be increasing. With this increasing population trend, the species would actually not meet or approach the threshold for listing as Threatened. Therefore, it is assessed here as Least Concern.
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
Aspinall (1996) does not identify any threats to this species.
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
Ptyonoprogne obsoleta Animalia Chordata Aves Passeriformes Hirundinidae Ptyonoprogne