Bird, J., Butchart, S., Dutson, G. (BirdLife International Red List Authority) & Garnett, S. (Birds Australia)
Justification:
Heteromunia pectoralis is found in northern Australia, between the Fitzroy River Valley, Western Australia, and the upper Burdekin, and central-western Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Until recently there was reasonable evidence of decline. The mobility of the species, however, makes its status difficult to assess, and the conclusions of analyses of changes in distribution and reporting rate did not reveal clear trends with increases in reporting frequency in half the regions where the species occurs over the last 25 years, decreases in four and stability in two. Numbers have been roughly estimated at c. 50,000 individuals but this appears to fluctuate greatly. In 2006 the species was abundant at Mornington Station, central Kimberley (S. Legge in litt. 2006) and large flocks were seen in Nathan River National Park, south-west Gulf of Carpentaria (D.Hooper in litt. 2006). The age ratio in flocks at Mornington Station ranged from one adult to every 20 juveniles to one adult to every 40 juveniles highlighting the temporal variability in the species' population size. An increase in the incidence of airsac mite, which also affects the threatened Gouldian Finch Erythrura gouldiae, may be indicative of a decline or of environmental stress from other causes. Changes in the burning regime, and the introduction of stock including cattle, sheep and horses, are likely to have affected the species, but the mechanism by which this has occurred is unknown. Owing to the lack of firm evidence for a population decline this species has been downlisted from Near Threatened to Least Concern.
History:
1988
-
Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004)
1994
-
Lower Risk/near threatened (Collar, Crosby and Stattersfield 1994)
2000
-
Lower Risk/near threatened (BirdLife International 2000)
2004
-
Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2004)
Geographic Range
Countries:
Native:
Australia
Habitat and Ecology
System:
Terrestrial
Citation:
BirdLife International 2007. Heteromunia pectoralis. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 September 2008.
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