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Numenius tenuirostris
– Critically Endangered
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
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ANIMALIA
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Phylum:
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CHORDATA
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Class:
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AVES
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Order:
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CHARADRIIFORMES
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Family:
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SCOLOPACIDAE
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Scientific Name:
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Numenius tenuirostris
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Species Authority:
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Vieillot, 1817
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Common Name/s:
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| English | — | SLENDER-BILLED CURLEW |
| French | — | COURLIS À BEC GRÊLE |
| Spanish | — | ZARAPITO FINO |
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Assessment Information
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Red List Category & Criteria:
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CR C2a(ii); D ver 3.1 (2001)
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Year Assessed:
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2004
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Assessor/s:
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BirdLife International
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Evaluator/s:
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Capper, D., Callaghan, D., Peet, N. & Benstead, P. (BirdLife International Red List Authority)
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Justification:
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This species has an extremely small population and the number of birds recorded annually continues to fall. This is likely to represent a continuing population decline. For these reasons the species qualifies as Critically Endangered.
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History:
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| 1988 | - | Threatened (Collar and Andrew 1988) |
| 1994 | - | Critically Endangered (Collar, Crosby and Stattersfield 1994) |
| 2000 | - | Critically Endangered (BirdLife International 2000) |
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Geographic Range
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Range Description:
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Numenius tenuirostris has only been confirmed breeding near Tara, north of Omsk in Siberia, Russia, between 1914-1924. It migrates west-south-west from its presumed breeding grounds in Siberia through central and eastern Europe, predominantly Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia to southern Europe , Greece, Italy, and Turkey, and north Africa, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. It has also been reported from Slovenia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Reports of birds wintering in Iran persist but require confirmation. Regarded as very common in the 19th century, it declined dramatically during the 20th century. Flocks of over 100 birds were recorded from Morocco as late as the 1960s and 1970s. However, between 1980-1990, there were only 103 records involving 316-326 birds1, and from 1990-1999, this dropped to 74 records involving 148-152 birds1. Most recent records are of 1-3 birds with the exception of a flock of 19 birds in Italy in 1995. In 1994, the population was estimated at only 50-270 birds, but records suggest it may now be lower.
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Countries:
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Native:
Albania; Algeria; Bulgaria; Croatia; Greece; Hungary; Iraq; Italy; Kazakhstan; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Morocco; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan
Vagrant:
Afghanistan; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Canada; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Egypt; France; Georgia; Germany; Israel; Japan; Jordan; Kuwait; Latvia; Malta; Netherlands; Oman; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Poland; Portugal; Saudi Arabia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Switzerland; United Kingdom; Yemen
Uncertain presence and origin:
Iran, Islamic Republic of; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
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Population
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Population Trend:
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Habitat and Ecology
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Habitat and Ecology:
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The only known nests were recorded on the northern limit of the forest-steppe zone in habitat more typical of taiga marsh. On migration and in winter, a wide variety of habitats are used, including saltmarsh, steppe grassland, fishponds, saltpans, brackish lagoons, tidal mudflats, semi-desert, brackish wetlands and sandy farmland next to lagoons.
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System:
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Terrestrial; Freshwater
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Threats
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Threats:
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Threats on the breeding grounds are unknown. Within its potential breeding range, the taiga has been little modified, the forest-steppe partially cultivated and much of the steppe modified by agriculture. Habitat loss in the wintering grounds is of unknown importance. There has been extensive drainage of wetlands in the Mediterranean and North Africa and potentially important areas in Iraq. Historically hunting was high and may have been the key factor in its decline.
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Conservation Actions
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Conservation Actions:
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Conservation measures underway:
CITES Appendix I. CMS Appendix I and II. There have been several international initiatives for the species to research key sites in Greece, survey passage sites and potential breeding areas, collate records, raise public awareness and educate hunters. An international working group has been established and a European action plan was published in 1996. An attempt to narrow down the search for breeding and moulting sites using stable isotope analysis of museum skins commenced in 2002.
Conservation measures proposed:
Locate key wintering and passage sites. Search for breeding grounds. Promote protection of habitat. Provide legal protection for this and similar species. Increase public awareness.
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