Habia atrimaxillaris

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PASSERIFORMES	CARDINALIDAE

Scientific Name:

Habia atrimaxillaris

Species Authority:

(Dwight & Griscom, 1924)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Black-cheeked Ant-tanager, Black-cheeked Ant Tanager, Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager

Taxonomic Notes:

The genera Piranga, Habia and Chlorothraupis were formerly placed in Thraupidae but have been moved to Cardinalidae following AOU (2009).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered B1ab(i,ii,iii,v) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2012

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Contributor/s:

Stiles, F.

Justification:
This species is classified as Endangered because of its small range which is mostly confined to two protected areas. The large reduction in habitat indicates that there are ongoing declines in range and population area.

History:

2008	–	Endangered
2004	–	Endangered
2000	–	Endangered
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Habia atrimaxillaris has a highly restricted range on the Osa Peninsula and around the Golfo Dulce in south-west Costa Rica. This range has approximately halved since 1960, and it has become increasingly scarce in the fragmented habitat outside Corcovado National Park and Golfito Faunal Refuge. However, populations appear stable in these protected areas (G. Stiles in litt. 1999), and it remains common in Corcovado (Capper et al. 1998).
Countries:	Native: Costa Rica
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The population is estimated to number 10,000-19,999 individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size. This is consistent with recorded population density estimates for congeners or close relatives with a similar body size, and the fact that only a proportion of the estimated Extent of Occurrence is likely to be occupied. This estimate is equivalent to 6,667-13,333 mature individuals, rounded here to 6,000-15,000 mature individuals.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

The population is estimated to number 10,000-19,999 individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size. This is consistent with recorded population density estimates for congeners or close relatives with a similar body size, and the fact that only a proportion of the estimated Extent of Occurrence is likely to be occupied. This estimate is equivalent to 6,667-13,333 mature individuals, rounded here to 6,000-15,000 mature individuals.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It inhabits the understorey of dense lowland forest, advanced secondary growth, streamside woodland, and occasionally selectively logged forest, palm trees and beach-front scrub (Capper et al. 1998, Slud 1964, Stiles and Skutch 1989). It occurs in pairs or small family groups, sometimes accompanying mixed-species flocks (Stiles and Skutch 1989). It feeds primarily on insects and probably other arthropods, but also on melastome berries (Slud 1964, Stiles and Skutch 1989).Breeding takes place from mid-January to May and nesting at a mature secondary forest site is described by Sandoval and Gallo (2009).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It inhabits the understorey of dense lowland forest, advanced secondary growth, streamside woodland, and occasionally selectively logged forest, palm trees and beach-front scrub (Capper et al. 1998, Slud 1964, Stiles and Skutch 1989). It occurs in pairs or small family groups, sometimes accompanying mixed-species flocks (Stiles and Skutch 1989). It feeds primarily on insects and probably other arthropods, but also on melastome berries (Slud 1964, Stiles and Skutch 1989).Breeding takes place from mid-January to May and nesting at a mature secondary forest site is described by Sandoval and Gallo (2009).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The vast majority of the forest to the north and east of the Golfo Dulce has been logged (G. Stiles in litt. 1999), and habitat loss is continuing outside protected areas.

Major Threat(s):

The vast majority of the forest to the north and east of the Golfo Dulce has been logged (G. Stiles in litt. 1999), and habitat loss is continuing outside protected areas.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway Corcovado National Park is a very important site for this species (Wege and Long 1995, Capper et al. 1998). The Golfito Faunal Refuge also holds a significant population (G. Stiles in litt. 1999), but the habitat is disturbed and fragmented (Wege and Long 1995). Conservation Actions Proposed Survey the Golfito Faunal Reserve to determine the status of this species (Wege and Long 1995). Protect any remaining habitat outside existing protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
Corcovado National Park is a very important site for this species (Wege and Long 1995, Capper et al. 1998). The Golfito Faunal Refuge also holds a significant population (G. Stiles in litt. 1999), but the habitat is disturbed and fragmented (Wege and Long 1995).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Survey the Golfito Faunal Reserve to determine the status of this species (Wege and Long 1995). Protect any remaining habitat outside existing protected areas.

Bibliography [top]

	Capper, D. R.; Clay, R. P.; Lowen, J. C. 1998. Recent sightings of threatened birds around Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. Cotinga 10: 102. IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2012.1). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 19 June 2012). Sandoval, L.; Gallo, A. 2009. Description of the nest and eggs of the Black-cheeked Ant Tanager (Habia atrimaxillaris). Wilson Journal of Ornithology 121(3): 635-637. Slud, P. 1964. The birds of Costa Rica: distribution and ecology. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 128: 1-446. Stiles, F. G.; Skutch, A. F. 1989. A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY. Wege, D. C.; Long, A. J. 1995. Key Areas for threatened birds in the Neotropics. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.

Capper, D. R.; Clay, R. P.; Lowen, J. C. 1998. Recent sightings of threatened birds around Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. Cotinga 10: 102.

IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2012.1). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 19 June 2012).

Sandoval, L.; Gallo, A. 2009. Description of the nest and eggs of the Black-cheeked Ant Tanager (Habia atrimaxillaris). Wilson Journal of Ornithology 121(3): 635-637.

Slud, P. 1964. The birds of Costa Rica: distribution and ecology. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 128: 1-446.

Stiles, F. G.; Skutch, A. F. 1989. A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.

Wege, D. C.; Long, A. J. 1995. Key Areas for threatened birds in the Neotropics. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2012. Habia atrimaxillaris. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 May 2013.
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