Family: Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758)

Red List Category

Criteria: A2c+3c+4c

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Justification of Red List category
This species has a wide range throughout South-East Asia and, more locally, in South Asia. In response to a range of threats, not all of which are fully understood, it is suspected of having declined by 20-29% over the past ten years, a rate which approaches the thresholds for listing as threatened; accordingly, the species is listed as Near Threatened. The mechanisms behind these declines are enigmatic, but undoubtedly include habitat loss and degradation (driven by localised small-holder farming as well as industrial-scale plantations), and perhaps collisions with urban structures when migrating as well as other factors associated with migration that we are yet to elucidate. In the absence of evidence these threats are slowing in extent and intensity, the same rates of declines are suspected to occur in the next 10 years, but there is an urgent need for consistent monitoring and research to better unravel the causes of decline in this species.

Population size: unknown

Population trend: decreasing

Extent of occurrence (breeding/resident): 7,530,000 km²

Country endemic: no

Attributes
Realm - Indomalayan
Realm - Palearctic
IUCN System - Freshwater
IUCN System - Terrestrial