Paradisaea rudolphi

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	Passeriformes	Paradisaeidae

Scientific Name:

Paradisaea rudolphi

Species Authority:

(Finsch, 1885)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Blue Bird-of-paradise

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable C2a(i) ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

BirdLife International

Evaluator/s:

Butchart, S. & Mahood, S. (BirdLife International Red List Authority)

Justification:
This species's narrow elevational preference matches all-too-perfectly that of swidden gardeners, and with burgeoning human populations this bird will be extirpated from the more populous intermontane valleys. However, there are many rugged and inaccesable intermontane forests which still supoort this species, and it is therefore classified as Vulnerable.

History:

2004	–	Vulnerable
2000	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable
1988	–	Near Threatened

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Paradisaea rudolphi occurs in the eastern Central Ranges of Papua New Guinea, from Mt Sisa south of Tari to the Owen Stanley range. It is patchily distributed and absent in many areas, but nowhere common^2,4. Advertising males were spaced at about every 200 m along one suitable forest ridge, and 400 m along another, and three radio-tagged birds had home ranges of 5, 17 and 33 ha over c.50 days⁶. At another study site, males were less dense, occupying up to 100 ha, perhaps owing to the more patchy forest or the higher hunting pressure at this site⁷.
Countries:	Native: Papua New Guinea
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	Population estimate = 2.0-10.9 individuals/km² x 2,200 km² (10% EOO) = 4,400-21,800, but probably best placed precautionarily in band 2,500-9,999 individuals (density extrapolated from range of estimates for male densities in Pruett-Jones and Pruett-Jones [1988], Whiteside [1998]).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is restricted to lower montane forest, from 1,400-1,800 m, but occasionally from 1,100-2,000 m, especially female-plumaged birds. Although displaying males usually use patches of primary forest, it may be able to survive in old secondary forest or fragmented primary forest and is often seen in forest edge and nearby disturbed areas. However, it may be excluded from more degraded habitats as a result of hunting of males and competition with the more adaptable Raggiana Bird-of-paradise P. raggiana. It is largely a canopy speciesfeeding mainly on fruit^3,4,5.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It is restricted to lower montane forest, from 1,400-1,800 m, but occasionally from 1,100-2,000 m, especially female-plumaged birds. Although displaying males usually use patches of primary forest, it may be able to survive in old secondary forest or fragmented primary forest and is often seen in forest edge and nearby disturbed areas. However, it may be excluded from more degraded habitats as a result of hunting of males and competition with the more adaptable Raggiana Bird-of-paradise P. raggiana. It is largely a canopy speciesfeeding mainly on fruit^3,4,5.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The major threat is habitat loss combined with hunting for its pectoral and tail feathers^1,3,4. Remaining forest is under pressure for clearance for agriculture by the increasing human population. It is poorly tolerant of secondary forest, both caused by shifting agriculture and logging, unless mixed with fragments of primary forest. However, there are still significant areas of its range which are inaccessible and largely uninhabited^3,4.

Major Threat(s):

The major threat is habitat loss combined with hunting for its pectoral and tail feathers^1,3,4. Remaining forest is under pressure for clearance for agriculture by the increasing human population. It is poorly tolerant of secondary forest, both caused by shifting agriculture and logging, unless mixed with fragments of primary forest. However, there are still significant areas of its range which are inaccessible and largely uninhabited^3,4.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation actions underway: CITES Appendix II and protected by law in Papua New Guinea. Conservation actions proposed: Survey western boundary of range. Survey historical sites in north and east of range. Estimate population densities and sizes at known sites. Investigate tolerance of secondary forest for both foraging and breeding. Research rates of forest loss in preferred altitudinal range. Monitor numbers at most accessible sites such as Ambua Lodge. Monitor trade prices and quantities. Investigate hunting levels and attitudes to control amongst hunters. Create large, locally-managed forest reserves with an enforced hunting ban. Run awareness and education programmes for landowners. Enforce existing legislation. Utilise its well-known image as a flagship species for ecotourism and conservation ventures.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation actions underway:

CITES Appendix II and protected by law in Papua New Guinea.

Conservation actions proposed:

Survey western boundary of range. Survey historical sites in north and east of range. Estimate population densities and sizes at known sites. Investigate tolerance of secondary forest for both foraging and breeding. Research rates of forest loss in preferred altitudinal range. Monitor numbers at most accessible sites such as Ambua Lodge. Monitor trade prices and quantities. Investigate hunting levels and attitudes to control amongst hunters. Create large, locally-managed forest reserves with an enforced hunting ban. Run awareness and education programmes for landowners. Enforce existing legislation. Utilise its well-known image as a flagship species for ecotourism and conservation ventures.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Paradisaea rudolphi. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2010.
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