Rhinoptilus bitorquatus

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	GLAREOLIDAE

Scientific Name:

Rhinoptilus bitorquatus

Species Authority:

(Blyth, 1848)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Jerdon's Courser

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered C2a(ii) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2010

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Calvert, R., Symes, A., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Barber, I., Jeganathan, P.

Justification:
This poorly known species qualifies as Critically Endangered as a result of its single, small, declining population, which is threatened by exploitation of scrub-forest, livestock grazing, disturbance and quarrying.

History:

2009	–	Critically Endangered
2008	–	Critically Endangered
2004	–	Critically Endangered
2000	–	Critically Endangered
1996	–	Endangered
1994	–	Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Rhinoptilus bitorquatus is a rare and local endemic to the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh and extreme southern Madhya Pradesh, India. Historically, it was known from just a few records in the Pennar and Godavari river valleys and was assumed to be extinct until its rediscovery around Lankamalai in 1986. It has since been found at six further localities in the vicinity of the Lankamalai, Velikonda and Palakonda hill-ranges, southern Andhra Pradesh, with all localities probably holding birds from a single population, the majority of which are contained within the Sri Lankamaleswara WildLife Sanctuary. Two individuals were sighted in 2009 in the Cudaapah District of Andhra Pradesh, the first confirmed sightings for several years⁹.
Countries:	Native: India
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The population at known sites numbers at least eight individuals, but unsurveyed habitat may support 'hundreds' (R. Green in litt. 2002)
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

The population at known sites numbers at least eight individuals, but unsurveyed habitat may support 'hundreds' (R. Green in litt. 2002)

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It inhabits sparse, thorny (dominated by Acacia, Zizyphus and Carissa) and non-thorny (dominated by Cassia, Hardwickia and Anogeissus) scrub-forest and bushes, interspersed with patches of bare ground, in gently undulating, rocky foothills. Studies using tracking strips have revealed the species has a strong preference for certain densities of scrub-jungle habitat, favouring areas where the density of large bushes is 300-700/ha and small bushes occur at less than 1,000/ha ³. It calls and is active mainly at night.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It inhabits sparse, thorny (dominated by Acacia, Zizyphus and Carissa) and non-thorny (dominated by Cassia, Hardwickia and Anogeissus) scrub-forest and bushes, interspersed with patches of bare ground, in gently undulating, rocky foothills. Studies using tracking strips have revealed the species has a strong preference for certain densities of scrub-jungle habitat, favouring areas where the density of large bushes is 300-700/ha and small bushes occur at less than 1,000/ha ³. It calls and is active mainly at night.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Its habitat is becoming increasingly scarce and fragmented. The dependence of the settlers on the area for resources, and the increase in the number of settlers, poses a serious threat to habitat through fuel-wood collection, livestock grazing, quarrying, clearance for agriculture⁷, and to the birds themselves through increased disturbance. Accidental trapping may also be an issue⁷. Suitable habitat for the species lying outside Sri Lankamaleswara Wildlife Sanctuary was threatened by the proposed construction of the Telugu-Ganga Canal in Cuddapah District², however in 2008 the Supreme Court, having already halted construction work, approved a new route avoiding the remaining suitable habitat⁵. Despite this, the remaining habitat is still under threat due to the expected increase of agriculture around the reserve as a result of the construction of the canal⁷.

Major Threat(s):

Its habitat is becoming increasingly scarce and fragmented. The dependence of the settlers on the area for resources, and the increase in the number of settlers, poses a serious threat to habitat through fuel-wood collection, livestock grazing, quarrying, clearance for agriculture⁷, and to the birds themselves through increased disturbance. Accidental trapping may also be an issue⁷. Suitable habitat for the species lying outside Sri Lankamaleswara Wildlife Sanctuary was threatened by the proposed construction of the Telugu-Ganga Canal in Cuddapah District², however in 2008 the Supreme Court, having already halted construction work, approved a new route avoiding the remaining suitable habitat⁵. Despite this, the remaining habitat is still under threat due to the expected increase of agriculture around the reserve as a result of the construction of the canal⁷.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway The local Yanaadi community have been employed to try to locate it. The Sri Lankamaleswara Wildlife Sanctuary and Sri Penusula Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary have been declared in the Lankamalai, Veliconda and Palakonda hill-ranges as a direct result of its rediscovery. The Telagu-Ganga canal that would have passed through one of these protected areas was realigned in response to lobbying that it would fragment habitat, but in 2005 unauthorised work began again on the canal. In February 2006, India's Central Empowerment Committee ruled in favour of a precise route for the canal that will entirely avoid courser habitat^2,4, and 1,200 ha of land was given in compensation to expand the Sri Lankamaleswara Wildlife Sanctuary⁹. In 2008 a workshop was held to draft a Species Recovery Plan. The identified priorities included: ensure protection of the species's habitat; to map potential habitat of the species within scrub forest using remote sensing; to capture and radio-tag individuals; to increase effort to identify new sites that may host the species and to raise awareness of the species⁶. A final draft has now been submitted to the State Forestry Department and National Government for endorsement⁸. The development of tracking-strips and camera traps as a survey method should facilitate the discovery of other sites^1,8. Also, survey methods have been developed to conduct night-time listening surveys for identifying new populations and studying existing ones³. A Species Recovery Plan was published in November 2010¹⁰. Conservation Actions Proposed Identify areas of suitable habitat within its putative range and conduct surveys of these to establish its current distribution, population status, and assess potential threats. Carry out a radio-telemetry study to determine the ecological requirements of this species and enable more effective conservation recommendations to be formulated³. Make recommendations for its conservation based on survey findings, including the establishment of sites supporting populations as strictly protected areas. Lobby against quarrying and proposed mining activities that threaten existing habitat. Initiate conservation awareness programmes in and around areas supporting populations to minimise habitat alteration and disturbance.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
The local Yanaadi community have been employed to try to locate it. The Sri Lankamaleswara Wildlife Sanctuary and Sri Penusula Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary have been declared in the Lankamalai, Veliconda and Palakonda hill-ranges as a direct result of its rediscovery. The Telagu-Ganga canal that would have passed through one of these protected areas was realigned in response to lobbying that it would fragment habitat, but in 2005 unauthorised work began again on the canal. In February 2006, India's Central Empowerment Committee ruled in favour of a precise route for the canal that will entirely avoid courser habitat^2,4, and 1,200 ha of land was given in compensation to expand the Sri Lankamaleswara Wildlife Sanctuary⁹. In 2008 a workshop was held to draft a Species Recovery Plan. The identified priorities included: ensure protection of the species's habitat; to map potential habitat of the species within scrub forest using remote sensing; to capture and radio-tag individuals; to increase effort to identify new sites that may host the species and to raise awareness of the species⁶. A final draft has now been submitted to the State Forestry Department and National Government for endorsement⁸. The development of tracking-strips and camera traps as a survey method should facilitate the discovery of other sites^1,8. Also, survey methods have been developed to conduct night-time listening surveys for identifying new populations and studying existing ones³. A Species Recovery Plan was published in November 2010¹⁰.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Identify areas of suitable habitat within its putative range and conduct surveys of these to establish its current distribution, population status, and assess potential threats. Carry out a radio-telemetry study to determine the ecological requirements of this species and enable more effective conservation recommendations to be formulated³. Make recommendations for its conservation based on survey findings, including the establishment of sites supporting populations as strictly protected areas. Lobby against quarrying and proposed mining activities that threaten existing habitat. Initiate conservation awareness programmes in and around areas supporting populations to minimise habitat alteration and disturbance.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2010. Rhinoptilus bitorquatus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 May 2012.
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