Podilymbus gigas

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PODICIPEDIFORMES	PODICIPEDIDAE

Scientific Name:

Podilymbus gigas

Species Authority:

Griscom, 1929

Common Name/s:

English	–	Atitlan Grebe, Atitlán Grebe, Giant Grebe, Giant Pied-billed Grebe
Spanish	–	Poc de Atitlán, Somormujo de Atitlán, Zambullidor de Atitlán, Zampullín del Atitlán

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Extinct ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

History:

2004	–	Extinct
2000	–	Extinct
1996	–	Extinct
1994	–	Extinct

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Podilymbus gigas was endemic to Lake Atitlán, Guatemala⁴. Its population dropped from c.200 to 80 in the 1960s, but recovered to a high of 232 in 1975⁵. However, various factors drove the population down to 30 by 1983, and it was extinct by 1986⁶.
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It inhabited one freshwater lake.
Systems:	Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Initial population declines were a result of competition and predation by large-mouth bass Micropterus salmoides, introduced into the lake in 1960⁵. However, increasing pressure on breeding sites from local reed-cutting and from tourism development, along with the murder of the government game warden for the national park during the political unrest of 1982 and falling lake levels following the earthquake of 1976, are likely to be the factors which drove the population to extinction⁶. Drowning in gill nets and disturbance by increasing boat traffic have also been suggested as contributory factors¹.

Major Threat(s):

Initial population declines were a result of competition and predation by large-mouth bass Micropterus salmoides, introduced into the lake in 1960⁵. However, increasing pressure on breeding sites from local reed-cutting and from tourism development, along with the murder of the government game warden for the national park during the political unrest of 1982 and falling lake levels following the earthquake of 1976, are likely to be the factors which drove the population to extinction⁶. Drowning in gill nets and disturbance by increasing boat traffic have also been suggested as contributory factors¹.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway Still listed on Appendix I of CITES. Conservation Actions Proposed

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
Still listed on Appendix I of CITES.

Conservation Actions Proposed

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