Taxon name
Bubulcus ibis
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Bubulcus ibis
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Birds
Species authority
(Linnaeus, 1758)
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
The population size of the breeding population qualifies as Endangered under Criterion D. However, because there is a high likelihood of rescue effect, the species has received a regional adjustment of two categories down to Near Threatened (D1). The non-breeding population qualifies as Least Concern.
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 resident population is increasing in the UAE; it has been breeding regularly at a site near Dubai City since 2001 and has bred near Al Ain (Abu Dhabi Emirate) in 2013 and 2015 (Pedersen et al. 2017). The resident population is supplemented by wintering birds between December and late April, as well as by migrant individuals stopping-over in April/May and in October/November on passage to and from the breeding grounds (Richardson 1990, Pedersen et al. 2017). During these periods, the species is common at wetlands throughout the country (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 inhabits inland freshwater areas, like marshes, bogs, ditches, wet or irrigated grassland, occasionally creeks, but only rarely coastal areas and saltwater habitats (Richardson 1990, Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). Particularly the resident population is well adapted to humans and can be considered commensal; when feeding, it often visits human sites, including crop fields, livestock enclosures, rubbish dumps and gardens (Jennings 2010). Its diet consists primarily of insects and small reptiles (Jennings 2010). The species is a diurnal feeder (del Hoyo et al. 1992). It breeds colonially; in Dubai, the colony is shared with breeding Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Jennings 2010). The timing of the breeding season in eastern Arabia is not known; in general, the species may breed throughout the year with different regional peaks depending on food availability (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Kushlan and Hancock 2005). The nesting effort of the species is related to rainfall patterns, leading to an annual variation in productivity (Kushlan and Hancock 2005). The nest is constructed of sticks and positioned in a bush or tree, preferably acacia, tamarisk or ghaf (Jennings 2010). In Arabia, clutches contain two to three, seldom up to five eggs (Jennings 2010). Outside of the breeding season the species remains gregarious (Brown et al. 1982, del Hoyo et al. 1992).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
The most relevant threats to this species within UAE are potentially from wetland land-use changes, and possibly oil pollution at coastal sites, although the severity of these threats is essentially unknown. Individuals that visit UAE may also be impacted upon by other threats. In its wider breeding range outside of the UAE, the species is threatened by wetland degradation and destruction, for reasons such as lake drainage for irrigation and hydroelectric power production (Balian;et al.;2002), and in some parts of its range it is susceptible to pesticide poisoning (organophosphates and carbamates) (Kwon;et al.;2004). Large colonies nesting in urban areas are perceived as a public nuisance and may be persecuted (e.g. by disturbance to prevent colony establishment, removal or direct killing) (Kushlan and Hancock 2005).
History
The species was first confirmed as breeding in Dubai in 1998, and so it would not have been assessed in 1996. However there was a non-breeding population, for which we can look to see if there was a genuine change. In 1996, the non-breeding population size was fewer than 200 mature individuals, which qualifies as Endangered. The category is adjusted to Vulnerable based on a regional adjustment of one step. Now it is considered Least Concern. Its increase is likely linked to increases in the availability of suitable artificial habitats.
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
