Taxon name
Iduna pallida
(Ehrenberg, 1833)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Iduna pallida
(Ehrenberg, 1833)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Birds
Species authority
(Ehrenberg, 1833)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Iduna pallida (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) was previously listed as Hippolais pallida.
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
Critically Endangered
Qualifying criteria (if given)
A2ac+4ac; C1+2a(i,ii); D
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
After its initial colonisation of the UAE this species increased its population quickly. However, over recent years the species appears to have declined dramatically, such that there could only be a tiny breeding population remaining within the UAE. The species is therefore listed here as Critically Endangered under criteria A2ac+4ac; C1+2a(i,ii); D.
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 is of migrant individuals on passage to and from the breeding grounds, with highest numbers in March-May and in August-September (Pedersen et al. 2017). A small population is breeding on Abu Dhabi Island (Pedersen et al. 2017), and it potentially may be breeding along the east coast too. Rare occurrences in winter suggest that at least a part of this population is resident in the country (Jennings 2010, 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
The species is found in areas of trees (mostly tamarisk) and bushes, often close to water bodies. It also occupies parks and gardens with dense canopy trees, date groves and stands of Mesquite Prosopis juliflora and acacia (Jennings 2010). It avoids arid, sandy environments (Jennings 2010). It forages in the higher branches and the canopy of trees. Its diet comprises mainly of invertebrates, but also some fruit in winter (Jennings 2010). The breeding season starts in April, with juveniles hatching mostly in May-July (Jennings 2010). Clutches consist of three to four eggs. The nest is a strong cup of plant stems and soft twigs, lined with plant down fur and placed in fork of branch, commonly of tamarisk (Svensson 2006, Jennings 2010). The species might be double-brooded in the UAE, but this has yet to be confirmed (Jennings 2010).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Within the UAE degradation of its habitat is the main threat to the species (Aspinall 1996). However, any individuals that might visit the country as non-breeders (e.g. on passage) are affected by a range of other threats (see BirdLife International 2015). For instance, the clearance and burning of bushes, groves and hedges, and the drainage of of land for agricultural expansion has intensified within its European range, while pesticide use there may also adversely affect populations (BirdLife International 2015).
History
It is assessed that in 1996, the national Red List category for this species would have been the same (CR). However, the species at the time is thought to have had a tiny population size that was increasing, whilst it has declined rapidly recently. Therefore, the criteria string for the backcast assessment in 1996 is assessed to have been only criterion D.
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
