Sericulus bakeri

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	PTILONORHYNCHIDAE

Scientific Name:

Sericulus bakeri

Species Authority:

(Chapin, 1929)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Adelbert Bowerbird, Adelbert Regent Bowerbird, Fire-maned Bowerbird

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Published:

2012

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Contributor/s:

Beehler, B., Dutson, G., Mackay, R. & Vang, K.

Justification:
This species his listed as Near Threatened because although it has a small range within which it is suspected to occur in only a handful of locations, it is relatively numerous within its favoured habitat, which does not appear to be under significant immediate threat. Further information on the rate and extent of clearance within its narrow altitudinal range would be desirable to confirm its status.

History:

2009	–	Near Threatened
2008	–	Vulnerable
2004	–	Vulnerable
2000	–	Vulnerable
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Sericulus bakeri is endemic to the Adelbert Mts in central north Papua New Guinea where it has a very restricted range (R. D. Mackay in litt. 1986, Coates 1990). It can be locally moderately common in suitable habitat within its small range (Coates 1990, B. Beehler and K. Vang in litt. 2008).
Countries:	Native: Papua New Guinea
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is restricted to altitudes of 1,200-1,450 m (rarely to 990 m). The numbers of bowers found per km² documented by Frith and Frith (2004) for other species in the genus are 15/50 km² and 24/48 km² (with the maximum from 23 studies of all bowerbirds being 36/2.5 km²). It seems likely that the total population numbers fewer than 10,000 mature individuals (G. Dutson in litt. 2009), and so it is placed in the band 2,500-9,999 mature individuals. This equates to 3,750-14,999 individuals in total, rounded here to 3,500-15,000 individuals.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

It is restricted to altitudes of 1,200-1,450 m (rarely to 990 m). The numbers of bowers found per km² documented by Frith and Frith (2004) for other species in the genus are 15/50 km² and 24/48 km² (with the maximum from 23 studies of all bowerbirds being 36/2.5 km²). It seems likely that the total population numbers fewer than 10,000 mature individuals (G. Dutson in litt. 2009), and so it is placed in the band 2,500-9,999 mature individuals. This equates to 3,750-14,999 individuals in total, rounded here to 3,500-15,000 individuals.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It mainly occupies a narrow altitudinal band at 1,200-1,450 m, rarely dropping to 990 m (R. D. Mackay in litt. 1986, Coates 1990, B. Beehler in litt. 2000, G. Dutson in litt. 2009). It is replaced at higher altitudes by the widespread A. macgregoriae. It forages for fruit, especially figs, and insects in the forest canopy, visiting suitable fruiting trees in secondary growth close to forest (Gilliard 1969, R. D. Mackay in litt. 1986, Coates 1990).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It mainly occupies a narrow altitudinal band at 1,200-1,450 m, rarely dropping to 990 m (R. D. Mackay in litt. 1986, Coates 1990, B. Beehler in litt. 2000, G. Dutson in litt. 2009). It is replaced at higher altitudes by the widespread A. macgregoriae. It forages for fruit, especially figs, and insects in the forest canopy, visiting suitable fruiting trees in secondary growth close to forest (Gilliard 1969, R. D. Mackay in litt. 1986, Coates 1990).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Although this mountain range is not heavily populated, this species occurs at the optimum altitude for indigenous agriculture and villagers rely substantially on hunting for food (R. D. Mackay in litt. 1986). However, the people of Salemben village do not hunt this species (B. Beehler in litt. 2000), and much of its range remains inaccessible and is unlikely to be logged in the near future (B. Beehler & K. Vang in litt. 2008). Population pressure (currently 2-3% increase per year in Papua New Guinea) will lead to increasing rates of deforestation but there are few data on current levels and trends of hunting and deforestation, and if most of the resulting clearance is for small-scale garden agriculture the species may not be adversely affected (G. Dutson in litt. 2009).

Major Threat(s):

Although this mountain range is not heavily populated, this species occurs at the optimum altitude for indigenous agriculture and villagers rely substantially on hunting for food (R. D. Mackay in litt. 1986). However, the people of Salemben village do not hunt this species (B. Beehler in litt. 2000), and much of its range remains inaccessible and is unlikely to be logged in the near future (B. Beehler & K. Vang in litt. 2008). Population pressure (currently 2-3% increase per year in Papua New Guinea) will lead to increasing rates of deforestation but there are few data on current levels and trends of hunting and deforestation, and if most of the resulting clearance is for small-scale garden agriculture the species may not be adversely affected (G. Dutson in litt. 2009).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway None is known. Conservation Actions Proposed Survey all forest blocks at suitable altitude. Estimate population densities. Ascertain population structure across isolated forest blocks. Assess hunting pressure. Research rate and trends of forest clearance. Investigate whether all occupied locations are suitable for agriculture. Research tolerance of secondary forest. Establish public awareness projects. Support visitor facilities at lodge above Salemben village.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
None is known.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Survey all forest blocks at suitable altitude. Estimate population densities. Ascertain population structure across isolated forest blocks. Assess hunting pressure. Research rate and trends of forest clearance. Investigate whether all occupied locations are suitable for agriculture. Research tolerance of secondary forest. Establish public awareness projects. Support visitor facilities at lodge above Salemben village.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2012. Sericulus bakeri. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2013.
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