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

Taxonomic note

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
Dowsett, R. J.; Forbes-Watson, A. D. 1993. Checklist of birds of the Afrotropical and Malagasy regions. Tauraco Press, Li
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2016	Vulnerable	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2012	Vulnerable	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2008	Vulnerable	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,v)
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	High
Land mass type	Land-mass type - continent	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2)	6,700	medium
Number of locations	6-10	-
Severely Fragmented		-

	Value	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
No. of mature individuals	6000-15000	poor	estimated	2016
Population trend	Decreasing	medium	suspected	-
Decline (3 years/1 generation past)		-	-	-
Decline (5 years/1 generation past)		-	-	-
Decline (10 years/1 generation past)		-	-	-
Decline (10 years/3 generation future)		-	-	-
Decline (10 years/3 generation past and future)		-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2-100	-	-	-
Percentage in largest subpopulation		-	-	-
Generation length (yrs)	3.8	-	-	-

Population justification: The population in the Udzungwas is known from eight localities (Dinesen et al. 2001) and is guessed to exceed 10,000 individuals (L. Dinesen in litt. 2007), because the stronghold for this species in the high altitude part of the Udzungwa forest is likely to be largely unaltered (L. Dinesen in litt. 2016). However, the total population of Nyumbanitu and Ndundulu Forests and Udzungwa National Park has been estimated at possibly no more than 2,500 individuals (L. Hansen in litt. 2007). The range of 10,000-19,999 individuals therefore remains as a preliminary population estimate requiring further documentation. This equates to 6,667-13,333 mature individuals, rounded here to 6,000-15,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification: The species's population is suspected to be in decline owing to the clearance of forest in parts of its range, although the likely rate of decline remains unquantified.

Country/Territory	Occurrence status	Presence	Resident	Breeding	Non-breeding	Passage
Tanzania	N	Extant	Yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Tanzania	Udzungwa National Park
Tanzania	Livingstone Mountains forests
Tanzania	Njombe forests
Tanzania	Rubeho Mountains
Tanzania	Mount Rungwe
Tanzania	Udzungwa Mountains
Tanzania	Ukaguru Mountains
Tanzania	Uvidunda Mountains
Tanzania	Udzungwa Mountain Range

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	1350 - 2450 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small 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%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2022) Species factsheet: Sheppardia lowei. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 18/08/2022. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2022) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 18/08/2022.