Riparia riparia | UAE National Red List of Birds

Taxa
Riparia riparia | (Linnaeus, 1758)
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
Riparia riparia and R. diluta (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) were previously lumped as R. riparia following AERC TAC (2003), AOU (1998 and supplements), Cramp and Simmons;(1977-“1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), SACC (2005 and updates), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), and Stotz et al. (1996).
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
The majority of occurrences of this species within the UAE are likely to be of wintering birds and migrant individuals on passage to and from the breeding grounds (Pedersen et al. 2017). Numbers are highest between August to May, when it is common over open land or waterbodies (Aspinall and Porter 2011, Pedersen et al. 2017). The species has been recorded in all months though (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 over open country and wetlands, including cultivations, parks or sewage treatment plants (Richardson 1990, Aspinall and Porter 2011). There is no information available about its feeding habits in the UAE; elsewhere it forages approximately 15 m above ground, feeding mainly on insects and spiders (Tucker and Heath 1994, Turner 2004). The species is migratory; it breeds between late April and August in Eurasia (Tucker and Heath 1994).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Vulnerable
Assessment status abreviation
VU
Assessment status criteria
D1
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a relatively small non-breeding population within the UAE. On average, this would appear to even out at a level that would trigger Endangered under Criterion D, although accurately estimating the population size and trend of this species is hindered by its movement habits. A regional adjustment has been applied as it is deemed likely that a rescue effect from the wider breeding population could occur. Therefore, it is listed as Vulnerable under criterion D1.
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
Outside of the country, breeding sites are generally ephemeral and can often be lost through human activities (e.g. flood control, erosion control on rivers), and this could also be true for artificial sites where the species may occur within the UAE. Globally, the use of pesticides, causing declines in prey species, may impact the species (Tucker and Heath 1994), but this is not thought to be pertinent to the UAE. In Europe, it is often dependent on artificial breeding sites such as quarries (Turner 2004), however quarry work can adversely affect breeding, though workers often take measures to prevent this. In the past, droughts in wintering areas have caused severe large-scale population declines in western Europe (Tucker and Heath 1994, Turner 2004), and so this could be a further threat to the species within 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
Riparia riparia Animalia Chordata Aves Passeriformes Hirundinidae Riparia