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Calandrella brachydactyla | UAE National Red List of Birds

Publication
UAE National Red List of Birds
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Birds
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxonomic Notes
Calandrella brachydactyla and C. dukhunensis (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) were previously lumped into C. brachydactyla following AERC TAC (2003), Cramp et al. (1977-“1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), and Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).Closely related to C. cinerea, with which often previously merged, and to C. blanfordi, C. eremica and C. acutirostris; until recently considered conspecific with C. dukhunensis (see related note). Geographical variation slight and clinalà¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬becoming paler and greyer to E, more rufous and streaked above to Wà¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬but greatly complicated by strong influence of wear, considerable individual variation and lack of natural boundaries; described ranges of listed taxa somewhat arbitrary. We follow Donald and Alström (in prep) in treating Greater Short-toed Lark as monotypic, finding no support for the usually accepted subspecies woltersi, hungarica, hermonensis, rubiginosa, artemisiana and longipennis. Note that the breeding range does not extend so far east into Mongolia as previously thought, indeed it is unclear whether it occurs in Mongolia at all. The species is monotypic.
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
The majority of occurrences of this species in the UAE are of migrating individuals on passage to and from the breeding sites. The abundance is highest in early April and in mid-August to November (Pedersen et al. 2017). It occasionally winters in the country, but numbers vary (Richardson 1990, Jennings 2010). It was thought to be likely that at least 5-20 pairs regularly breed in the country (Jennings 2010, Pedersen et al. 2017), but it is now believed that the species may no longer breed regularly in the UAE (R. Sheldon;in litt.;2019). Any remaining breeding population is still thought to be tiny, but there have been recent reports of individuals in suitable habitat in the breeding season.
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
During migration and winter, it is found in semi-desert plains (Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). During the breeding season, it favours lush vegetation, like cultivated and irrigated zones which experienced above average rainfall during the previous winter (Jennings 2010). During migration, it can form flocks of up to 5,000 individuals, which cross the country in April and August-November (Jennings 2010, Pedersen et al. 2017). It feeds on the ground and in low vegetation. There is no information available on its diet in the UAE, but elsewhere it feeds mainly on invertebrates, supplementing them with seeds and the green parts of plants (Jennings 2010). Little is known about its breeding biology in the UAE and Arabian Peninsula. The breeding period may last from March to June (Jennings 2010). Elsewhere, the nest is built by the female, of grasses, rootlets and similar vegetation, lined with softer material and placed in a shallow scrape on the ground, usually beside a shrub or grass tuft. It often has a small rampart of sticks or stones. Clutch size is about three eggs in Arabia (Jennings 2010).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Critically Endangered
Assessment status abreviation
CR
Assessment status criteria
D
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a small non-breeding population that would warrant a listing as Endangered under criterion D. However, the species is thought to have previously bred in the UAE, and the breeding status takes precedence here. Any remaining breeding population is still thought to be tiny, and there have been recent reports of individuals in suitable habitat in the breeding season. Therefore, the species is listed here as Critically Endangered under criterion D.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2019
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
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.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
Within the UAE, predation by cats,;Felis catus,;has been noted to cause local declines on the Arabian Peninsula for Crested Lark (Symes;et al.;2015), and this is another possible threat to this species. Overgrazing outside of Protected Areas could also pose a threat. As a migratory species, individuals that over-winter in UAE but breed elsewhere may be subject to threats outside of the country too - although the scope and severity of impact on the UAE population is essentially unknown. From BirdLife International (2015), in Europe the main threats to the species are from agricultural intensification (leading to loss of fallows, increased number of irrigation schemes, increase in surface area covered by crops, etc.), afforestation of wastelands (de Juana;et al. 2012), and residential expansion (Tucker and Heath 1994).
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
It is assessed that in 1996, the national Red List status of this species would have been the same as in this assessment.