Taxon name
Oena capensis
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Oena capensis
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Birds
Species authority
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Qualifying criteria (if given)
D1
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a very small resident population in the UAE, which might qualify it for listing as Endangered. However, the species is increasing within the country and expanding its range. Moreover, as the breeding population of the Arabian Peninsula seems to be increasing as well, there is high potential for immigration. Therefore, the species's status has adjusted down one category and is listed as Vulnerable at the national level.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
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.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species is resident in the UAE. The majority of the population occurs in western Abu Dhabi Emirate (Pedersen et al. 2017). The species was first recorded in the Asab Oilfield in the Arabian Gulf northwest of Abu Dhabi Islands in 1988; breeding was confirmed in 1997 in the Ghiyathi region in western Abu Dhabi Emirate (Pedersen et al. 2017), although it was potentially breeding before this (but it would have been in tiny numbers).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species inhabits dry acacia scrubland, savanna and semi-desert, and is also found in cultivated land, dry weedy areas and animal enclosures (Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). There is no information available on its diet in the UAE; elsewhere it takes mainly seeds and occasionally insects (Jennings 2010). The breeding period lasts from March to September. The nest is a shallow cup made of twigs and rootlets, lined with soft material like grass, and placed in a bush low above the ground. Clutches contain two eggs (Jennings 2010).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
The species is not thought to face any significant threats. Artificial habitats that favour this species within the UAE may be transient, so monitoring of such habitats will be important.
History
This species would have had a tiny colonising population within UAE in 1996, which would have undergone a regional adjustment to Endangered. The population size has continued to increase, and now (following regional adjustment) the species is listed as Vulnerable. Its increase could potentially be a result of changes to water management.
Publication
Burfield, I.J., Westrip, J., Sheldon, R.D., Hermes, C., Wheatley, H., Smith, D., Harding, K.A. Allen, D.J. and Alshamsi, O. 2021. UAE National Red List of Birds. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
