Numenius tahitiensis

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	CHARADRIIFORMES	SCOLOPACIDAE

Scientific Name:

Numenius tahitiensis

Species Authority:

(Gmelin, 1789)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Bristle-thighed Curlew

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable C2a(ii) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Symes, A., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Gill, R., Vilina, Y., Donaldson, P.

Justification:
This species is listed as Vulnerable because its population is now small and believed to be declining, largely as a result of predation on the wintering grounds, when perhaps more than 50% of adults are flightless during autumn moult.

History:

2006	–	Vulnerable
2004	–	Vulnerable
2000	–	Vulnerable
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Numenius tahitiensis breeds on the lower Yukon River and central Seward Peninsula in western Alaska, USA. Suggestions that it breeds in Russia are unsupported⁵. It winters on oceanic islands, including the Hawaiian Islands (USA), US Minor Outlying Islands, Northern Mariana Islands (to USA), Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tokelau (to New Zealand), Fiji, Tonga, Niue (to New Zealand), Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands, and French Polynesia, also reaching the Solomon Islands, Norfolk Island (to Australia), Kermadec Islands (New Zealand), Pitcairn Islands (to UK) (notably Oeno) and Easter Island (Chile)^1,3,10,11. The breeding population is c.7,000 birds, but c.3,000 subadults over-summer on Pacific islands^2,9.
Countries:	Native: American Samoa; Chile; Cook Islands; Fiji; French Polynesia; Guam; Kiribati; Marshall Islands; Nauru; New Zealand; Niue; Northern Mariana Islands; Pitcairn; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tokelau; Tonga; Tuvalu; United States; United States Minor Outlying Islands; Wallis and Futuna Vagrant: Indonesia; Japan; Papua New Guinea; Philippines
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Morrison et al. (2001) estimated 7,000 breeders and 3,000 immatures.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It breeds in dwarf-shrub tundra at 100-350 m during May-July. Birds congregate in the Yukon-Kuskokwin Delta in August, and migrate south, mostly bypassing the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to make landfall after 6,000 km or more^4,7. It winters on coral reefs, sandy beaches, intertidal flats, rocky shores and in palm forests and dense vegetated understorey^4,5. It is long-lived (15-23 years), forms long-term monogamous pairs, and is highly faithful to breeding and wintering sites⁴.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

It breeds in dwarf-shrub tundra at 100-350 m during May-July. Birds congregate in the Yukon-Kuskokwin Delta in August, and migrate south, mostly bypassing the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to make landfall after 6,000 km or more^4,7. It winters on coral reefs, sandy beaches, intertidal flats, rocky shores and in palm forests and dense vegetated understorey^4,5. It is long-lived (15-23 years), forms long-term monogamous pairs, and is highly faithful to breeding and wintering sites⁴.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Introduced cats, dogs and possibly pigs heavily predate flightless birds on wintering grounds. Hunting for food is localised, particularly previously in the Tuamotus, and recent reports suggest it may also be a threat in the Marshall Islands, Carolines, US Minor Outlying Islands and Hawaiian offshore islands¹². Breeding birds are predated by several species of raptor, Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus, Common Raven Corvus corax and foxes. Gold mining is a potential future threat in Alaska⁵. Ingestion of lead paint on Midway Island needs to be investigated (it was recently identified as a problem in seabirds)⁵.

Major Threat(s):

Introduced cats, dogs and possibly pigs heavily predate flightless birds on wintering grounds. Hunting for food is localised, particularly previously in the Tuamotus, and recent reports suggest it may also be a threat in the Marshall Islands, Carolines, US Minor Outlying Islands and Hawaiian offshore islands¹². Breeding birds are predated by several species of raptor, Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus, Common Raven Corvus corax and foxes. Gold mining is a potential future threat in Alaska⁵. Ingestion of lead paint on Midway Island needs to be investigated (it was recently identified as a problem in seabirds)⁵.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CMS Appendix II. Most breeding and staging grounds are well-protected⁴. The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge protects several wintering and stop-over sites. Protection and management of habitat at Kahuku on O'ahu has facilitated an increase in the local wintering population². Conservation Actions Proposed Survey key historical sites^8,9. Monitor population trends^2,8. Assess harvesting rate⁹. Identify sites with high concentrations of wintering birds^8,9. Identify migratory stop-over sites^8,9. Protect and manage key islands, atolls and other wintering sites^2,8. Increase public awareness especially in its winter range⁹.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CMS Appendix II. Most breeding and staging grounds are well-protected⁴. The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge protects several wintering and stop-over sites. Protection and management of habitat at Kahuku on O'ahu has facilitated an increase in the local wintering population².

Conservation Actions Proposed
Survey key historical sites^8,9. Monitor population trends^2,8. Assess harvesting rate⁹. Identify sites with high concentrations of wintering birds^8,9. Identify migratory stop-over sites^8,9. Protect and manage key islands, atolls and other wintering sites^2,8. Increase public awareness especially in its winter range⁹.

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