Data Zone
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.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Near Threatened | A2c+3c+4c |
| 2012 | Near Threatened | A2c+3c+4c |
| 2008 | Near Threatened | A2c; A3c; A4c |
| 2004 | Near Threatened | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Near Threatened | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | not a migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type |
Land-mass type - continent |
Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 581,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Severely Fragmented | - |
| Value | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | unknown | not applicable | not applicable | 0 |
| Population trend | Decreasing | 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 | - | - | - | |
| Percentage in largest subpopulation | 100 | - | - | - |
| Generation length (yrs) | 3.8 | - | - | - |
Population justification: This is a poorly known species and no population estimates are available.
Trend justification: The population is suspected to be in decline following a recent range contraction and threats from the expansion of cultivation, urban development and overgrazing (del Hoyo et al. 2004, Taylor et al. 2015). Some analyses of Southern African Bird Atlas Project data suggest that there has been a range decline for this species between Southern African Bird Atlas Projects (SABAP) (Taylor et al. 2015), but other analyses of this data suggest this species may even have increased its range (Lee et al. 2017). The analysis presented in Taylor et al. (2015) suggests a >30% decline in range between SABAPs, however, the length of time between projects (SABAP1 1987-1992; SABAP2 2007-2014. Note SABAP2 is ongoing but data taken from 2014) is greater than 3 generations (11 years) and the reduction in its Area of Occupancy is below the threshold for concern (Taylor et al. 2015).
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Presence | Resident | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botswana | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| South Africa | N | Extant | Yes | |||
| Zimbabwe | N | Extant | Yes |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|---|
| South Africa | Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | major | resident |
| Altitude | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching - Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2022) Species factsheet: Mirafra cheniana. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 07/10/2022.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2022) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 07/10/2022.
