Taxon name
Merops cyanophrys
(Cabanis & Heine, 1860)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Merops cyanophrys
(Cabanis & Heine, 1860)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Birds
Species authority
(Cabanis & Heine, 1860)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Merops orientalis, M. viridissimus and M. cyanophrys (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) were previously lumped as M. orientalis following Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).
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 species's population size within the UAE is large enough that it would not approach the thresholds for listing under a threatened category due to small population size alone. The population has been considered to be increasing, although there is some uncertainty now due to some noted localised declines, but it is not considered to be likely to be declining in the country as a whole. The population in the wider Arabian Peninsula is stable or increasing; thus, the potential for immigration from outside the UAE remains very high. Therefore, the species is listed as Least Concern 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 to very common resident in the northern part of the UAE. Following agricultural and afforestation projects, its range is expanding southwards and westwards (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 in rocky wadis with scattered acacia trees, in coastal plains and open country with trees, semi-desert, mountain sides, cultivations, parks and gardens (Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It is not able to tolerate very dry environments (Jennings 2010). It feeds on aerial prey (bees, wasps, flies, locusts, moths and butterflies) by chasing them in short flights (Jennings 2010). Pairs form in winter and early spring, but pairs may stay together throughout the year (Jennings 2010). The breeding period lasts from February to July, with most activity occurring in April and May (Jennings 2010). Pairs are territorial and breed solitarily, excavating a nesting tunnel horizontally into a bank of sand, silk or earth, including artificial banks and trenches (Jennings 2010). Eggs are placed directly into a brood chamber at the end of the tunnel. In the UAE, pairs raise two to three juveniles (Jennings 2010). There is evidence that the species has two broods per season in the UAE (Jennings 2010).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
There have been localised declines in some areas, e.g. at Al Wathba, and these are suspected to be potentially be associated with land-use changes. The potential for declines in invertebrate populations as a result of agricultural intensification and future declines in water availability requires further research.
History
It is assessed that in 1996, after regional adjustments, 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
