NT
Buff-necked Woodpecker Meiglyptes tukki



Justification

Justification of Red List category
This forest-dependent species is likely to be declining moderately rapidly throughout its range as a result of habitat loss and degradation. It is therefore considered Near Threatened, and should be carefully monitored for any future changes in the rate of declines.

Population justification
The population size of this species has not been quantified; it is considered uncommon to common.

Trend justification
Data on rates of decline are lacking, but on-going habitat loss and degradation are occurring throughout the species's range, suggesting that continuing population losses are inevitable and are likely to be moderately rapid.

Distribution and population

Meiglyptes tukki is confined to the Sundaic lowlands, from south Tenasserim, Myanmar, peninsular Thailand, Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore (formerly), Kalimantan (including the north Natuna Islands) and Sumatra (including most offshore islands), Indonesia and Brunei (BirdLife International 2001). It is generally fairly common in suitable habitat throughout this range.

Ecology

This species is found in primary evergreen and semi-evergreen lowland forests with dense undergrowth and rotting stumps. It is also found in peatswamp forests and tall secondary formations. Most records are from below 600 m, although it does occur up to 1,250 m.

Threats

Rates of forest loss in the Sundaic lowlands have been extremely rapid, owing partly to the escalation of illegal logging and land conversion, with deliberate targeting of all remaining stands of valuable timber including those inside protected areas. Forest fires have also had a damaging effect (particularly in 1997-1998). A recent study shows that it is able to persist in logged forest (Lammertink 2004), but it cannot sustain populations in areas where closed-canopy forests have been cleared (M. Crosby in litt. 2005, D. R. Wells in litt. 2005).

Conservation actions

Conservation Actions Underway
No targeted conservation actions are known for this species, although it occurs in a number of protected areas.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct repeated surveys across the species's range to determine the magnitude of declines and rates of range contraction. Campaign for the protection of remaining tracts of lowland forest throughout the species's range.

Acknowledgements

Text account compilers
Benstead, P., Gilroy, J. & Taylor, J.

Contributors
Crosby, M., Lammertink, M. & Wells, D.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Meiglyptes tukki. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/buff-necked-woodpecker-meiglyptes-tukki on 19/03/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org on 19/03/2024.