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

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.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	A2bc; C2a(i); D1

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2021	Vulnerable	A2bc
2017	Vulnerable	A2c+3c+4c; C2a(i)
2016	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2012	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2011	Endangered	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2010	Critically Endangered	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2009	Critically Endangered	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2008	Critically Endangered
2004	Critically Endangered
2000	Critically Endangered
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

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

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	57,600 km2	good
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	2,928 km2
Number of locations	11-27	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	650-1670 mature individuals	medium	inferred	2020
Population trend	decreasing	poor	inferred	-
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	30-49%	-	-	-
Generation length	2.5 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: The current known population includes important concentrations at Punta San Pedro (70 individuals), Todos Santos (120 individuals), Santiago (up to 150 individuals), San José del Cabo (487-700 mature individuals in 2009; assuming an exponential decline of 30-49% over three generations this would currently equate to 225-475 individuals) and further individuals at other sites in the southern part of the range (Pronatura in litt. 2009; B. Matheson in litt. 2013; R. Rodríguez-Estrella in litt. 2016). In the northern part of the range, only the population at the oasis San Ignacio has been quantified; it is estimated at 250 individuals (Carmona et al. 2020). The total population therefore numbers at least 815 individuals; to account for further populations at occupied sites it is here tentatively inferred as numbering 1,000-2,499 individuals, which equates to 650-1,670 mature individuals.
Despite being restricted to coastal and freshwater marshes for breeding, the species is able to disperse between sites (Erickson et al. 2008; Carmona et al. 2020; Curson and Sharpe 2020). It is therefore tentatively assumed that the species forms two subpopulations, one in the northern part of the range, numbering more than 165 mature individuals, and one in the south, numbering at least 375-540 mature individuals.

Trend justification: This species is suspected to be undergoing a decline owing to severe pressures on Baja California's oases and the resultant conversion of habitat at many sites (Rodriguez-Estrella et al. 1999). Several occupied sites have experienced population reductions and even local extirpations (Ericksen et al. 2008).
Even though the rate of decline has not been quantified, the high pressure on its habitat and evidence of local extinctions suggest that declines are rapid; they are tentatively placed in the band 30-49% over the past ten years.

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

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Mexico	Estero de San José
Mexico	Isla San Marcos
Mexico	Oasis La Purísima y San Isidro
Mexico	Oasis Punta San Pedro - Todos Santos
Mexico	Oasis San Ignacio
Mexico	Oasis San Pedro de la Presa
Mexico	Sierra La Giganta

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Wetlands (inland)	Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands	major	resident
Altitude		Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
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
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Whole (>90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Natural system modifications	Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (agricultural use)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Natural system modifications	Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (commercial use)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Natural system modifications	Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (domestic use)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Residential & commercial development	Tourism & recreation areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Belding's Yellowthroat Geothlypis beldingi. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/beldings-yellowthroat-geothlypis-beldingi on 26/12/2024.
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 26/12/2024.