Numenius madagascariensis
| Kingdom |
Phylum |
Class |
Order |
Family |
| ANIMALIA |
CHORDATA |
AVES |
CHARADRIIFORMES |
SCOLOPACIDAE |
| Scientific Name: |
Numenius madagascariensis |
| Species Authority: |
(Linnaeus, 1766) |
Common Name/s:
| English |
– |
Eastern Curlew, Far Eastern Curlew |
|
Assessment Information
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| Red List Category & Criteria: |
Vulnerable
A4bcd
ver 3.1
|
| Year Published: |
2010 |
| Assessor/s: |
BirdLife International |
| Reviewer/s: |
Calvert, R., Symes, A., Butchart, S. |
| Contributor/s: |
Moores, N., Amano, H., Rogers, D. |
Justification:
This species has been uplisted to Vulnerable owing to a rapid population decline which is suspected to have been primarily driven by habitat loss and deterioration. Further proposed reclamation projects are predicted to cause additional declines in the future.
|
| History: |
| 2009 |
– |
Least Concern
|
| 2008 |
– |
Least Concern
|
| 2004 |
– |
Least Concern
|
|
Geographic Range
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| Range Description: |
Numenius madagascariensis breeds in eastern Russia, from the upper reaches of the Nizhnyaya Tunguska river east though the Verkhoyarsk mountains to Kamchatka, and south to Primorye and north-eastern Mongolia. It has been recorded as a non-breeding visitor to Japan, North Korea, South Korea, mainland China, Hong Kong (China), Brunei, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, with most birds wintering in Australia, but also in Taiwan, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand1. The global population has recently been estimated at 38,000 individuals2. The global population is declining, as indicated by reduced numbers at stopover points in South Korea and Japan, and a significant decline in the number of non-breeding individuals wintering in north-west Australia3,4,6.
|
| Countries: |
Native:
Australia; Brunei Darussalam; China; Fiji; Guam; Hong Kong; Indonesia; Japan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Malaysia; Mongolia; New Zealand; Northern Mariana Islands; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Russian Federation; Singapore; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; Timor-Leste; United States; Viet Nam
Vagrant:
Bangladesh; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Oman
Present - origin uncertain:
Afghanistan
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| Range Map: |
Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
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Population
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| Population: |
The global population has been estimated at 38,000 individuals (Wetlands International, 2006). Although this estimate is currently retained, recent documented declines mean that the true population size is likely to be smaller.
|
| Population Trend: |
Decreasing
|
Habitat and Ecology
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| Habitat and Ecology: |
Behaviour This migratory wader nests from early May to late June, often in small colonies of 2-3 pairs, with an average clutch size of four eggs. It probably delays maturity longer than most shorebirds, perhaps not breeding until 3-4 years old1. Habitat The species breeds on open mossy or transitional bogs, moss-lichen bogs and wet meadows, and on the swampy shores of small lakes; in the non-breeding season it is essentially coastal, occurring at estuaries, mangrove swamps, saltmarshes and intertidal flats, particularly those with extensive seagrass (Zosteraceae) meadows. It often roosts in salt-marshes, behind mangroves, or on sandy beaches1. Diet Its diet on breeding grounds includes insects, such as larvae of beetles and flies, and amphipods. Berries are also consumed during the autumn migration. In non-breeding areas it feeds on marine invertebrates, preferentially taking crabs and small molluscs but also feeding on other crustaceans and polychaete worms1.
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| Systems: |
Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine |
| Major Threat(s): |
Habitat loss is probably the primary threat to the species, although it is difficult to ascertain whether declines seen at reclaimed sites such as Saemangeum represent true declines, or whether the birds have simply been displaced4,5. Further threats may include disturbance at the nesting and feeding sites, direct persecution throughout its range, and a decrease in the availability of food due to pollution in at stopover points in South Korea. Furthermore, females probably tend to migrate further south to southern Australian wetlands which are more at threat than those in northern Australia1.
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Conservation Actions
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| Conservation Actions: |
Conservation Actions Underway
No specific conservation action is known for this species, although population trends are being monitored in Australia as part of the Monitoring Yellow Sea Migrants in Australia project.
Conservation Actions Proposed
Identify key stopover areas and prevent their reclamation. Continue to monitor population trends. Restore reclaimed wetland sites. Campaign to stop shorebird hunting in Asian countries. Legally protect it in all range states. Survey the breeding grounds for potential threats.
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