Siphonorhis americana

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	CAPRIMULGIFORMES	CAPRIMULGIDAE

Scientific Name:

Siphonorhis americana

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Jamaican Paraque, Jamaican Pauraque, Jamaican Poorwill

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered D ver 3.1

Year Published:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Symes, A., Butchart, S., Bird, J.

Contributor/s:

Levy, C.

Justification:
This species has not been recorded since 1860, and it may have been driven to extinction by introduced mongooses and rats, whose effect may have been exacerbated by habitat destruction. However, it cannot yet be presumed to be Extinct because there have been recent unconfirmed reports, and surveys may possibly have overlooked this nocturnal species. Any remaining population is likely to be tiny, and for these reasons it is treated as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct).

History:

2008	–	Critically Endangered
2004	–	Critically Endangered
2000	–	Critically Endangered
1996	–	Critically Endangered
1994	–	Critically Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Siphonorhis americana is endemic to Jamaica, but has not been positively recorded since 1860. Reference has been made to five specimens, but only four have been located³. Two specimens (one untraced) were taken in the Great Salt Pond area near Spanishtown in 1857, with others collected in the Bluefields area, near Savanna-la-Mar in western Jamaica, (apparently) at Freeman's Hall near Albert Town and from near Linstead^1,3. Three of these localities (excepting Freeman's Hall) are in the lowlands on the southern side of the island, and there is anecdotal evidence that the species could often be found in (what is now assumed to be) the Hellshire Hills^1,2,3,4. However, the specimen information is confused by the practice of labelling skins with the residence of the collector as the location of collection³. There have been some recent, unconfirmed reports of caprimulgids from Milk River and Hellshire Hills, which apparently do not refer to other known species on the island².
Countries:	Possibly extinct: Jamaica
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Any remaining population is assumed to be tiny (<50) based on lack of records since 1860
Population Trend:	Unknown

Population:

Any remaining population is assumed to be tiny (<50) based on lack of records since 1860

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The south side of the island is drier, suggesting that the species is (or was) found in either dry limestone forest, semi-arid woodland or open country at low elevations. It presumably nests (or nested) on the ground.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Introduced mammalian predators are considered primarily responsible for the possible extirpation of this species. The mongoose was introduced in 1872 (after the last confirmed record), but it can be assumed that rats were the cause of any decline prior to this date. As its ecological requirements are not known, the impact of habitat destruction is difficult to assess. However, the loss of at least 75% of original forest, with remaining forest largely secondary, presumably had (and perhaps continues to have) an adverse effect.

Major Threat(s):

Introduced mammalian predators are considered primarily responsible for the possible extirpation of this species. The mongoose was introduced in 1872 (after the last confirmed record), but it can be assumed that rats were the cause of any decline prior to this date. As its ecological requirements are not known, the impact of habitat destruction is difficult to assess. However, the loss of at least 75% of original forest, with remaining forest largely secondary, presumably had (and perhaps continues to have) an adverse effect.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway None is known. Conservation Actions Proposed Survey, especially Milk River and the Hellshire Hills, to locate any remaining populations¹.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
None is known.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Survey, especially Milk River and the Hellshire Hills, to locate any remaining populations¹.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Siphonorhis americana. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 May 2012.
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