Taxon name
Riparia riparia
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Riparia riparia
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Birds
Species authority
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Riparia riparia and R. diluta (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) were previously lumped as R. riparia following AERC TAC (2003), AOU (1998 and supplements), Cramp and Simmons;(1977-“1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), SACC (2005 and updates), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), and Stotz et al. (1996).
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 relatively small non-breeding population within the UAE. On average, this would appear to even out at a level that would trigger Endangered under Criterion D, although accurately estimating the population size and trend of this species is hindered by its movement habits. A regional adjustment has been applied as it is deemed likely that a rescue effect from the wider breeding population could occur. Therefore, it is listed as Vulnerable under criterion D1.
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). Numbers are highest between August to May, when it is common over open land or waterbodies (Aspinall and Porter 2011, Pedersen et al. 2017). The species has been recorded in all months though (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 occurs over open country and wetlands, including cultivations, parks or sewage treatment plants (Richardson 1990, Aspinall and Porter 2011). There is no information available about its feeding habits in the UAE; elsewhere it forages approximately 15 m above ground, feeding mainly on insects and spiders (Tucker and Heath 1994, Turner 2004). The species is migratory; it breeds between late April and August in Eurasia (Tucker and Heath 1994).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Outside of the country, breeding sites are generally ephemeral and can often be lost through human activities (e.g. flood control, erosion control on rivers), and this could also be true for artificial sites where the species may occur within the UAE. Globally, the use of pesticides, causing declines in prey species, may impact the species (Tucker and Heath 1994), but this is not thought to be pertinent to the UAE. In Europe, it is often dependent on artificial breeding sites such as quarries (Turner 2004), however quarry work can adversely affect breeding, though workers often take measures to prevent this. In the past, droughts in wintering areas have caused severe large-scale population declines in western Europe (Tucker and Heath 1994, Turner 2004), and so this could be a further threat to the species within UAE.
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
