Taxon name
Butorides striata
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Butorides striata
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Birds
Species authority
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Butorides striata;(del Hoyo and Collar 2014) was previously split as;B. striata;and;B. virescens;following AOU (2003), and before then;B. striata;was split as;B. striatus;and;B. sundevalli;following Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993). Gender agreement of;B. striata;follows David and Gosselin (2002).
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 restricted resident population in the UAE, which might qualify it for listing as Vulnerable. However, the population is increasing, and the potential for immigration from outside the UAE remains very high, as the breeding population in the wider Arabian Peninsula is likewise increasing. Therefore, the species's status has been adjusted down 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
This species is a common resident along both coasts of the UAE, but uncommon to rare further inland (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 mainly coastal. It favours mangrove habitats, but is also found along rocky and sandy coasts, coral reefs, harbours, breakwaters and jetties (Richardson 1990, Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It is occasionally found at inland wetlands, including water-filled rubbish dumps, sewage treatment plants and gravel pits (Richardson 1990). The species forages mainly in stands of Black Mangroves Avicennia marina. In Arabia, it has only been observed to feed on fish, but elsewhere it also takes crabs, shrimps and other invertebrates (Jennings 2010). The breeding period lasts over spring and summer; the species may be double-brooded. Nests are loose structures of sticks and algae, which are hidden in bushes or rock crevices. The clutch size is not known; evidence from the Red Sea suggest that clutches contain four eggs (Jennings 2010).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
The most pertinent threats to this species are from habitat destruction (e.g. the loss of mangroves) (Aspinall 1996, Kushlan and Hancock 2005), and pollution (e.g. from oil) (Aspinall 1996).
History
The species was much less common in 1996, qualifying as Endangered, adjusted by one step to VU. The population increases for this species are likely a result of increased availability of artificial water sources.
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
