Didunculus strigirostris

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	COLUMBIFORMES	COLUMBIDAE

Scientific Name:

Didunculus strigirostris

Species Authority:

(Jardine, 1845)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Tooth-billed Pigeon

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered A2cde;B1ab(ii,iii,v);C2a(i) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Mahood, S., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Freifeld, H., Atherton, J., Hobcroft, D., Beichle, U.

Justification:
This secretive species qualifies as Endangered because it has a very small, fragmented range and population which are declining owing to hunting and habitat loss and degradation (partly driven by cyclones).

History:

2004	–	Endangered
2000	–	Endangered
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Didunculus strigirostris is endemic to Samoa, where it is known as Manumea; its total population was estimated at 4,800-7,200 birds in the mid-1980s². In the 1990s the population showed a drastic decline owing to the effects of cyclones such that, in 2000, fewer than 2,500 mature individuals were believed to survive. In 1999 and 2000, surveys on Savai`i showed that it had become rare with pairs scattered in suitable habitat⁴. An eleven month survey in 2005-2006 reported the species from only ten locations, and the population was estimated to number only a few hundred, although the remote and largely intact uplands of Savai'i remain largely unsurveyed¹⁴. There is concern that these small, increasingly fragmented subpopulations may not be viable¹⁰.
Countries:	Native: Samoa
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	U. Beichle in litt. (2000).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It occurs in primary forest from sea-level to 1,600 m, also occurring in forest edge, along forest roads and sometimes visiting clearings where native trees remain^2,6,7. It is specialised to feed on the seeds of Dysoxylum spp. (using its unusual bill to saw through the tough, fibrous pericarp), also feeding on other fleshy fruit². Clutch-size is probably two².
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It is threatened by deforestation for agriculture, and also the severe effects of cyclones, e.g. in 1990 and 1991, when canopy cover was reduced from 100% to 27%⁸, and more recently when cyclones passed close to the islands¹³. Forest quality is further reduced by the subsequent invasion of highly aggressive non-native trees¹⁰. Hunting is also a further threat, e.g. in 1985, 400 birds were being shot every year⁵. Although hunting is now illegal, birds are still shot in the seasonal harvest of unprotected pigeon species⁷.

Major Threat(s):

It is threatened by deforestation for agriculture, and also the severe effects of cyclones, e.g. in 1990 and 1991, when canopy cover was reduced from 100% to 27%⁸, and more recently when cyclones passed close to the islands¹³. Forest quality is further reduced by the subsequent invasion of highly aggressive non-native trees¹⁰. Hunting is also a further threat, e.g. in 1985, 400 birds were being shot every year⁵. Although hunting is now illegal, birds are still shot in the seasonal harvest of unprotected pigeon species⁷.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway It is fully protected by law and hunting is banned, though this has not been enforced. It occurs in some proposed and a few existing protected areas, but these have suffered cyclone damage and the O Le Pupu Pu`e National Park on `Upolu is threatened by logging and cattle-farming⁵. It has recently been chosen as a flagship species to promote conservation awareness, and was selected as the mascot of the South Pacific Games held in 2007 in Samoa, in order to promote bird and forest conservation. A species recovery plan was recently published by the Samoan Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and funds are now being sought to implement the plan. Conservation Actions Proposed Implement the species recovery plan prepared for this species. Extend the hunting ban to cover all native columbids to avoid "mistaken" shooting⁶. Conduct further surveys to determine its distribution and population numbers^6,9,11. Gather further information on its life-history and habitat requirements^6,9,11. Investigate threats^9,11. Identify important sites, set up a network of long-term monitoring stations, and establish conservation areas/nature reserves, e.g. on the four small islands off the east coast of `Upolu including Nu`utele (Aleipata)^6,9,11. Increase local involvement in its study and conservation^9,11.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
It is fully protected by law and hunting is banned, though this has not been enforced. It occurs in some proposed and a few existing protected areas, but these have suffered cyclone damage and the O Le Pupu Pu`e National Park on `Upolu is threatened by logging and cattle-farming⁵. It has recently been chosen as a flagship species to promote conservation awareness, and was selected as the mascot of the South Pacific Games held in 2007 in Samoa, in order to promote bird and forest conservation. A species recovery plan was recently published by the Samoan Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and funds are now being sought to implement the plan.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Implement the species recovery plan prepared for this species. Extend the hunting ban to cover all native columbids to avoid "mistaken" shooting⁶. Conduct further surveys to determine its distribution and population numbers^6,9,11. Gather further information on its life-history and habitat requirements^6,9,11. Investigate threats^9,11. Identify important sites, set up a network of long-term monitoring stations, and establish conservation areas/nature reserves, e.g. on the four small islands off the east coast of `Upolu including Nu`utele (Aleipata)^6,9,11. Increase local involvement in its study and conservation^9,11.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Didunculus strigirostris. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
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