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

Taxonomic source(s)
Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
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.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	A2bc+3c+4bc

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2022	Vulnerable	A2bc+3c+4bc
2016	Least Concern
2012	Least Concern
2009	Least Concern
2008	Least Concern
2004	Least Concern
2000	Lower Risk/Least Concern
1996	Lower Risk/Conservation Dependent
1994	Lower Risk/Conservation Dependent
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

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

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	17,600 km2
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	120000-550000, 260000 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2020
Population trend	decreasing	-	estimated	2011-2022
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	30-49%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	30-49%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	30-49%	-	-	-
Generation length	3.72 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2-3	-	-	-

Population justification: The abundance of Atherton Scrubwrens is calculated from the density and distribution of birds and the area of climatically suitable habitat at different altitudes in 2016 (Williams 2010a). The population size is estimated at 120,000-550,000 mature individuals, with a best estimate of 260,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification: There appears to have been a substantial decline in population size in the last three generations, as predicted by climate change modelling (Williams et al. 2003). Annual monitoring undertaken from 2000–2016 (1,970 plots, 62 different locations, 0–1500 m altitude) revealed a highly significant 43% decline in the total population over the three generations to 2016 from an estimated 450,000 to 260,000 individuals with almost none at low altitudes (<450 m; Williams & de la Fuente 2021). The reporting rate for 2-ha 20-min surveys and 500-m radius area searches undertaken 1999–2018 declined by 98% and 27% respectively per three-generation period (BirdLife Australia 2020). The cause of this decline, climate change, is unlikely to abate and given the relatively steady decline between 2000 and 2016, a similar rate of decline is suspected in the future as the area of suitable habitat continues to shift to higher elevations with a smaller area.

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

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Australia	Daintree
Australia	Wooroonooran

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	420 - 1600 m	Occasional altitudinal limits	1000 - 1400 m

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Temperature extremes	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Whole (>90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation, Species mortality

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Atherton Scrubwren Sericornis keri. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/atherton-scrubwren-sericornis-keri on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.