Data Zone
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. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | A2bce+3bce+4bce; C2a(ii) | A2bce+3bce+4bce; C2a(i,ii); D1 |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Endangered | A2bce+3bce+4bce; C2a(ii) |
| 2016 | Endangered | C2a(ii) |
| 2012 | Endangered | C2a(ii) |
| 2010 | Endangered | C2a(ii) |
| 2008 | Not Recognised | |
| 2004 | Not Recognised | |
| 2000 | Not Recognised | |
| 1994 | Not Recognised | |
| 1988 | Not Recognised |
| Migratory status | not a migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 5,200,000 km2 | |
| Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident) | 1,900 km2 | |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 270-410, 340 mature individuals | poor | estimated | 2020 |
| Population trend | decreasing | medium | inferred | 2015-2028 |
| Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 50-79% | - | - | - |
| Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 50-79% | - | - | - |
| Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 50-79% | - | - | - |
| Generation length | 4.2 years | - | - | - |
| Number of subpopulations | 1 | - | - | - |
| Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation | 100% | - | - | - |
Population justification: Population estimates of Australian Painted-snipe up to 2010 have varied between 1,500 and 5,000 individuals in total (Commonwealth of Australia 2019) and rare and erratic recording suggest that the species occurs in limited numbers (Marchant and Higgins 1993). The population was estimated at 1,000–1,500 mature individuals in 2010 (Garnett et al. 2011). Applying a trend correction based on a determined contraction in the AOO, the population estimate in 2020 was revised to 270-410 mature individuals with a best estimate of 340.
Trend justification:
The species is so rarely reported that change in AOO is the best measure of trends in relative abundance. AOO (based on all records combined; BirdLife Australia 2020, eBird 2020) declined by 77% from 1,352 km2 in the first half of the last three generations (2008–2014) to 312 km2 in the most recent six years. However, like most Australian waterbirds (Clemens et al. 2019), there was an increase in sightings following the wet years of 2010–2011 with some areas having many individuals: 87 individuals were encountered in the 2012–2013 rice-growing season in the Riverina region of New South Wales (Herring and Silcocks 2014). A better comparison is the 60% decline between the AOO for the most recent six years and that for the driest six years of the millennium drought (788 km2, 2003–2009). This last decline was used to estimate population size relative to the estimate of 1,000–1,500 mature individuals in 2010 (Garnett et al. 2011) although the actual AOO is assumed to be larger because surveys are certainly incomplete, particularly in northern Australia and in the arid interior. Overall, these trends in occupancy are thought to suggest a decline of >50–80% in the last three generations which is likely to continue (Rogers et al. 2021).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | extant | native | yes |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Altitude | 0 - 700 m | 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%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 7 | ||||||
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| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching - Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
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| Climate change & severe weather | Droughts | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Whole (>90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 7 | ||||||
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| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Unspecified species | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
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| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (agricultural use) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 7 | ||||||
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| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (domestic use) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 7 | ||||||
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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Australian Painted-snipe Rostratula australis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/australian-painted-snipe-rostratula-australis on 18/12/2024.
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 18/12/2024.