Taxon name
Hirundo rustica
Linnaeus, 1758
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Hirundo rustica
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
Least Concern
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
The non-breeding population of this species within the UAE is small enough to trigger a listing as Vulnerable under Criterion D1. However, the movement habits of this species, with individuals moving fairly widely in the non-breeding season make estimating the over-wintering population size for this species is particularly difficult, and it is plausible that this could be an underestimating the number of individuals that visit the country in winter. The breeding population in the Arabian Peninsula is believed to be stable, and the population within the UAE is also suspected to be stable. Therefore, given the movement habits of this species, and its relative abundance during migration a regional adjustment has been made to drop down two categories, and so the species is listed here 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
This species is a common migrant and winter visitor in the UAE (Pedersen et al. 2017). Numbers are highest between February and May and between July and November, but occurrences have been recorded year-round (Richardson 1990, Pedersen et al. 2017). In the past, it may occasionally have bred in Ras al-Khaimah (Richardson 1990). Currently, there is no conclusive evidence of breeding attempts (Jennings 2010); however, the observation of five juveniles in Ras al-Khaimah in May 2019 suggests that the species is possibly breeding there (R. Khan (Dubai Safari, Dubai Municipality) pers. comm. 2019).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species prefers open country such as cultivated farmland with buildings and settlements, large gardens and moist areas (Richardson 1990, Aspinall and Porter 2011). During migration, it occupies almost any area and habitat type (Aspinall and Porter 2011). The species is gregarious. Generally, it feeds almost entirely on flying insects (Snow and Perrins 1998). While it has been suggested that the species has occasionally bred in Ras al-Khaimah, there is no clear evidence of a breeding population in the UAE (Richardson 1990, Jennings 2010).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Within the UAE, Aspinall (1996) identified no threats, although artificial habitats that favour this species within the UAE may be transient, so monitoring of such habitats will be important. Visiting individuals do face a range of threats outside of the country, the main threat of which is the intensification of agriculture. Changes in farming practices such as the abandonment of traditional milk and beef production have resulted in a loss of suitable foraging areas. In addition, intensive livestock rearing, improved hygiene, land drainage and the use of herbicides and pesticides all reduce the numbers of insect prey available. Suitable nest sites are often scarcer on modern farms. The species is susceptible to changes in climate with bad weather in the wintering areas as well as the breeding grounds affecting breeding success (Tucker and Heath 1994). Outside of the UAE, it is occasionally hunted for sport and nests are sometimes removed as a nuisance.
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
