Amani Sunbird (Hedydipna pallidigaster) - BirdLife species factsheet

Amani Sunbird Hedydipna pallidigaster

Current view: Data table and detailed info

Taxonomy

Taxonomic note

Hedydipna pallidigaster (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) was previously placed in the genus Anthreptes following Dowsett & Forbes-Watson (1993); Sibley & Monroe (1990, 1993).

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.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	B2ab(i,ii,iii,v)	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,v)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2021	Endangered	B2ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2016	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2012	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2008	Endangered	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,v); B2a+b(i,ii,iii,v)
2007	Endangered
2006	Endangered
2004	Endangered
2000	Endangered
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Threatened

Species attributes

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type	continent	Average mass	7 g

Range

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	15,800 km²	medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	430 km²	good
Number of locations	2-5	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

Population

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	1500-7000 mature individuals	medium	inferred	2007
Population trend	decreasing	medium	inferred	-
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-10%	-	-	-
Generation length	2.6 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2-100	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: The species is known to occur in three areas. Its population in the Brachystegia woodland of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Kenya, has been estimated at 2,818 individuals (95% CI: 1,739-4,565) in an area of 77 km²(Davis 2005). The remaining occupied range in the East Usambara and Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, totals 420 km² (Dinesen et al. 1993; Evans 1997; Seddon et al. 1999a, b) with the possible population in the Udzungwa Mountains probably numbering 'some hundred' individuals (Dinesen et al. 2001). Its population is therefore inferred to fall within the band 2,500-9,999 individuals. This equates to 1,667-6,666 mature individuals, rounded here to 1,500-7,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification: The species is inferred to be declining, owing to ongoing forest loss across its range. Between 2009-2019, a 3.3% decline in forest cover was recorded (Global Forest Watch 2020). While this species prefers close canopy, it has also been observed outside intact forests, and in degraded forests, suggesting that it can tolerate some habitat degradation. The overall rate of decline is therefore suspected to be in the range of 1-10% over the last three generations.

Country/territory distribution

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Kenya	extant	native	yes
Tanzania	extant	native	yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Kenya	Arabuko-Sokoke Forest
Tanzania	East Usambara Mountains
Tanzania	Udzungwa Mountains

Habitats & altitude

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Savanna	Dry	major	resident
Altitude	0 - 1270 m	Occasional altitudinal limits	(max) 1550 m

Threats & impact

Threat (level 1)

Threat (level 2)

Impact and Stresses

Agriculture & aquaculture

Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder 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]