• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	A2cde+3cde+4cde; C1+2a(i)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2018	Vulnerable	A2cde+3cde+4cde; C1+2a(i)
2016	Vulnerable	A2cde+3bcde; C1+2a(i)
2012	Vulnerable	A2cde+3cde+4cde;C2a(i)
2008	Vulnerable	A2c,d,e; A3c,d,e; A4c,d,e; C2a(i)
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	altitudinal migrant	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type	Land-mass type - shelf island	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2)	140,000	medium
Number of locations	11-100	-
Severely fragmented?	yes	-

	Value	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Number of mature individuals	2500-9999	poor	estimated	1999
Population trend	decreasing	medium	suspected	1998-2008
Decline % (10 years/3 generations future)	30-49	-	-	-
Decline % (10 years/3 generations past and future)	30-49	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2-100	-	-	-
Percentage in largest subpopulation	1-89	-	-	-
Generation length (years)	4.2	-	-	-

Population justification: The population is estimated to number 2,500-9,999 mature 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 3,750-14,999 individuals, rounded here to 3,500-15,000 individuals.

Trend justification: The population is suspected to be rapidly declining, in line with the clearance and degradation of rainforest for subsistence agriculture and timber extraction, as well as mortality from hunting and introduced predators. Also, modelling the possible effects of climate change have shown that this species's ecological niche may decline by 99.7% due to climate change over the 50 year period from 2000-2050 (Andriamasimanana and Cameron 2013). Assuming a linear decrease, this would equate to a c.37% decline in its ecological niche over the next 3 generations from climate change alone. Considering the possible impacts from other factors, the future decline is placed in the range of 30-49% (c.25% in the next two generations, c.12% in the next generation).

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding	Non-breeding	Passage
Madagascar	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Madagascar	South Anjanaharibe Special Reserve and extension
Madagascar	Marojejy National Park
Madagascar	Masoala National Park
Madagascar	Marotandrano Special Reserve
Madagascar	Ambatovaky Special Reserve
Madagascar	Zahamena National Park and Strict Reserve
Madagascar	Betampona Strict Nature Reserve
Madagascar	Mangerivola Special Reserve
Madagascar	Anjozorobe Forest
Madagascar	Tsitongambarika NPA
Madagascar	Ranomafana National Park and extension
Madagascar	Andringitra National Park
Madagascar	Midongy South National Park
Madagascar	Mananara-North Biosphere Reserve

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Altitude	0 - 800 m	Occasional altitudinal limits	(max) 1200 m

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Species mortality
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Canis familiaris	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Named species	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality

Purpose	Primary form used	Life stage used	Source	Scale	Level	Timing
Food - human	-	-			non-trivial	recent

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Species factsheet: Mesitornis unicolor. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/brown-mesite-mesitornis-unicolor on 25/09/2023. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2023) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org on 25/09/2023.