Ceratogymna elata

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CORACIIFORMES	BUCEROTIDAE

Scientific Name:

Ceratogymna elata

Species Authority:

(Temminck, 1831)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Yellow-casqued Hornbill, Yellow-casqued Wattled Hornbill
French	–	Calao à casque jaune

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Mahood, S., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Barlow, C., Dowsett, R., Dowsett-Lemaire, F., Rainey, H.

Justification:
This species is listed as Near Threatened because it is declining moderately rapidly owing to hunting and habitat loss and fragmentation.

History:

2004

–

Near Threatened

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Ceratogymna elata is widespread in West Africa from Senegal (very small range⁷), Mali, Guinea (c.419 individuals), Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone (c.624 individuals), Liberia (c.2,385 individuals), Côte d'Ivoire (c.3,871 individuals), Ghana (c.817 individuals), Togo (few records²), Benin, Nigeria (c.1,625 individuals) and Cameroon (c.2,791 individuals)^4,9. It still appears to be common in forested areas of Sierra Leone, south-west Ivory Coast and Liberia⁹. Additionally, in parts of Cameroon and south-west Nigeria it may also still be abundant, but there are indications that it is declining in places in Cameroon^3,5,9,10. Much of Liberia has been deforested in recent years, so it is possible that while its population is still stable where forest remains, the overall area of occupancy may have declined with loss or degradation of habitat. In Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Ghana and much of Ivory Coast it appears to be absent or rare with relatively few recent observations, although it may survive in places (e.g. the south of Guinea-Bissau¹) depending on the state of habitat⁹.
Countries:	Native: Cameroon; Côte d'Ivoire; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Liberia; Mali; Nigeria; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Togo
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Based on a calculation of 35,808 km² of suitable habitat x a mean population density of 0.35 birds km²= 12,533 individuals (H. Rainey in litt. 2007); here rounded to 12,500 individuals.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is a bird of lowland primary forest but also occurs in logged and secondary forest, riverine forest and oil-palm plantations^4,6. It undergoes local movements in response to fruit availability.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Hunting is likely to be a major threat throughout its range⁸ and, in Ghana, over-hunting is probably causing a serious decline⁶. Logging is probably only a threat to the species in small forests where hunting is rampant⁶, but destruction of forest throughout its range is causing habitat fragmentation which may inhibit movement between seasonal food sources and lead to a reduction in its population³. Since this is a long lived and mobile species there is also the concern that populations, particularly in degraded areas, may seem healthier than they really are - birds may persist, although breeding may be disrupted causing populations to crash when these adult birds die⁹.

Major Threat(s):

Hunting is likely to be a major threat throughout its range⁸ and, in Ghana, over-hunting is probably causing a serious decline⁶. Logging is probably only a threat to the species in small forests where hunting is rampant⁶, but destruction of forest throughout its range is causing habitat fragmentation which may inhibit movement between seasonal food sources and lead to a reduction in its population³. Since this is a long lived and mobile species there is also the concern that populations, particularly in degraded areas, may seem healthier than they really are - birds may persist, although breeding may be disrupted causing populations to crash when these adult birds die⁹.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway It occurs in a number of protected areas. Conservation Actions Proposed Regularly monitor the species at selected sites across its range to determine trends. Research the extent and nature of the threat caused by hunting. Conduct awareness programmes to discourage hunting. Protect significant areas of forest at key sites, in both strictly protected areas and community led multiple use areas.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
It occurs in a number of protected areas.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Regularly monitor the species at selected sites across its range to determine trends. Research the extent and nature of the threat caused by hunting. Conduct awareness programmes to discourage hunting. Protect significant areas of forest at key sites, in both strictly protected areas and community led multiple use areas.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Ceratogymna elata. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 17 May 2012.
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