Calandrella brachydactyla | (Leisler, 1814)
SIS Taxon ID
103766207
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Kingdom
Species
Scientific Name
Calandrella brachydactyla
Is SIS
On
Calandrella brachydactyla | UAE National Red List of Birds
Publication
Taxa
Calandrella brachydactyla | (Leisler, 1814)
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¬becoming paler and greyer to E, more rufous and streaked above to Wà¢Ã¢â¬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.
Asessment status in full
Critically Endangered
Assessment status abreviation
CR
Assessment status criteria
D
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
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.
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.
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
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:
History
It is assessed that in 1996, the national Red List status of this species would have been the same as in this assessment.
Verified entry
Off