Taxon name
Ardea alba
Linnaeus, 1758
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Ardea alba
Linnaeus, 1758
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Birds
Species authority
Linnaeus, 1758
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Ardea alba;(del Hoyo and Collar 2014);was previously placed in the genus Casmerodius as C. albus. Casmerodius albus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) was previously retained as a cross-regional species contra Christidis and Boles (2008) who moved;C. albus into the genus Ardea and split it into two cross-regional species A. alba and A. modesta (note gender agreement of specific name for alba).
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
Near Threatened
Qualifying criteria (if given)
D1
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a small non-breeding population in the UAE, which qualifies it for listing as Endangered. The population has increased within the country since 1996 but the trend is now thought to be stable.Conditions outside of the UAE are considered unlikely to deteriorate, so there is a potentially very high rescue effect from individuals outside of the country. Therefore, the species is downlisted by two categories to Near Threatened 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
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 and April, when the species is common at large wetlands throughout the country (Richardson 1990, Pedersen et al. 2017). Some non-breeding individuals stay in the country over summer (Richardson 1990, 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 occurs at large, shallow inland wetlands rich with fish (Richardson 1990, del Hoyo et al. 1992, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It frequents mainly rivers and creeks, marshes and lakes (Richardson 1990).;Outside of the breeding season, the species may feed solitarily or in small loose groups, although flocks of hundreds or more individuals may form where food is abundant (Brown et al. 1982, Marchant and Higgins 1990, del Hoyo et al. 1992). The species is a diurnal feeder, but is most active at dawn and dusk (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Kushlan and Hancock 2005). The species is migratory. Individuals wintering in or migrating through the UAE may breed in southern-central Asia. The timing of the breeding season varies geographically, but concentrates around spring and summer. The species typically breeds in colonies of tens, hundreds or even a thousand pairs, sometimes with other species (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Kushlan and Hancock 2005).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
The most relevant threats within UAE are changes in coastal land-use and the possibility of oil pollution, but the severity of these threats towards this species is unknown.Individuals of this species that visit UAE are also threatened by a range of threats that operate outside of the country. Globally, the species is threatened by wetland habitat degradation and loss (Marchant and Higgins 1990, del Hoyo et al. 1992) for example through drainage, grazing, clearing, burning, increased salinity, groundwater extraction and invasion by exotic plants (Marchant and Higgins 1990). The species previously suffered from intense persecution for the plume trade (this is no longer a threat) (del Hoyo et al. 1992). Climate change is a potential future threat.
History
In 1996, the species was less common, however with a population size that still exceeds 50 mature individuals, found in natural lagoons rather than in anthropogenic habitats. The species qualified as Endangered, downlisted by two categories to Near Threatened based on the significant global rescue effect.
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
