Taxon name
Torgos tracheliotos
(Forster, 1791)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Torgos tracheliotos
(Forster, 1791)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Birds
Species authority
(Forster, 1791)
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
Assessed as
Critically Endangered
Qualifying criteria (if given)
D
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a very small non-breeding population in the UAE, which qualifies it for listing as Critically Endangered. On a global scale, the species is listed as Endangered due to a rapid decline. Therefore, breeding populations outside of the country may not have a large rescue effect. Therefore, the species is retained as Critically Endangered 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 rare and uncommon in the UAE. It may have formerly bred in the north-eastern part of the country near Al Ain (Abu Dhabi Emirate) (Aspinall 1996, Pedersen et al. 2017). In the past decade, single individuals or small groups have been recorded in other parts of the country, like in Dubai Emirate (Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, Dubai City, Nakhli, Tijarah desert, Saih Al Salam, Bab Al Shams desert), north-eastern Abu Dhabi Emirate (Al Shuwaib, Al Faqa), Sharjah Emirate (Wadi Al Helou, Dhaid to Al Madam road, Qarn Nazwa) and Ras al-Khaimah Emirate (Munay) (Pedersen et al. 2017).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species inhabits open plains with rocky outcrops and wadis, as well as desert and semi-deserts with scattered trees (Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). Pairs range widely when foraging (P. Hall in litt. 2000), and soar for long periods in great heights (Richardson 1990). It feeds mostly on carrion, both on dead animals found on the plains and on road-kill (Jennings 2010). In Arabia, this species shows an aggressive behaviour towards congeners at carcasses, and dominates other vulture species (Jennings 2010). Moreover, the species also feeds near human habitations, such as on farmland, on rubbish dumps and in suburbs (Jennings 2010). Elsewhere, it is also known to hunt, probably taking a variety of small reptiles, fish, birds and mammals (McCulloch 2006a,b). Individuals do not breed until seven years old (Jennings 2010). There is no information available on the timing of the breeding season in the UAE, but it likely lasts from December to June/July (Jennings 2010). Nests are large structures of sturdy sticks, lined with soft material like goat and donkey hair and grasses, and may be used in consecutive years and are placed preferably in large, flat-topped acacia trees (Jennings 2010). Clutches likely contain only one egg (Shobrak 2004 per Jennings 2010). After fledging, juveniles may disperse up to 300 km from the nest (Jennings 2010).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
The species is known to face a very large range of threats that are having a severe impact on the global population. The population that visits the UAE, however, is probably naturally very small because it is at the very edge of its range in the country. It is probably naturally limited here by the lack of appropriate breeding sites, or possibly from the lack of large predators and their prey, and so the remains they feed on (Aspinall 1996). Instead, the principal food source in the region is potentially from dead domestic stock (Aspinall 1996), and this could potentially bring it into conflict with farmers. In the wider region it has been noted that the species may face persecution, and it could also be impacted by the poisoning of feral dogs/wolves (Symes et al. 2015). There is no evidence of any local susceptibility to diclofenac poisoning, which has impacted global vulture populations, but this should be monitored (Symes et al. 2015).
History
It is assessed that in 1996, the national Red List status of this species would have been the same as in this assessment.
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
