Taxon name
Platalea leucorodia
Linnaeus, 1758
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Platalea leucorodia
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
Qualifying criteria (if given)
D1
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 Endangered. The population is stable within the region. Conditions outside of the UAE are considered unlikely to deteriorate, and it was considered Least Concern for the Arabian Peninsula (although assessed as NT before downlisting), so there is a potentially a rescue effect from individuals outside of the region. Therefore, the species has undergone an adjustment down by one category to 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
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). The highest numbers have been recorded between August and May, when the species is fairly common to common close to the coast (Richardson 1990, Pedersen et al. 2017). Non-breeding groups regularly stay over summer in the UAE (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 is restricted to coastal areas, where it inhabits sheltered lagoons, shallow pools, marshes, salt pans and mudflats (Richardson 1990, Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It does not occur at waterbodies further inland (Jennings 2010). It feeds in shallow water by sweeping the open bill through the water while moving forward (Jennings 2010). There is no information available about its diet in the UAE; elsewhere it takes insects, molluscs, crustaceans, worms, leeches, frogs, tadpoles and small fish up to 10-15 cm long, algae or small fragments of aquatic plants (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Hancock et al. 1992). It is most active during the morning and evening, although in coastal areas it forages at low tide regardless of the time of day (Hancock et al. 1992). The species is migratory; it breeds during spring in small colonies in central Asia, before migrating in flocks of up to 100 individuals to the wintering grounds in Arabia, Africa and India (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Jennings 2010).
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 potentially threatened by a range of threats that operate outside of the country. These external threats include habitat degradation through drainage and pollution (e.g. chlorinated hydrocarbons); the species is especially affected by the disappearance of reed swamps due to agricultural and hydroelectric development (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Hancock et al. 1992). Over-fishing and disturbance have caused population declines in Greece, and human exploitation of eggs and nestlings for food has threatened the species in the past (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Hancock et al. 1992). Poaching and collisions with overhead electricity cables are the main non-natural causes of death during migration (Triplet et al. 2008).;The species is also susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus (Melville and Shortridge 2006).
History
Considered Endangered in 1996 based on similar population size, downlisted by one step to VU.
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
