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

Justification of Red List category
This species is classified as Near Threatened because it is suspected to be undergoing a moderately rapid decline owing to severe deforestation throughout much of its range.

Population justification
The global population size or density are not known. The species is described as uncommon to locally common, being more abundant in foothill zones than in the lowlands (Renjifo et al. 2016 and references therein). It may potentially be overlooked due to its inconspicuousness, though it is likely that it is generally rare and local (Fundación ProAves 2011, Renjifo et al. 2016).

Trend justification
While there are no exact data on the population trend, it is suspected that the species is undergoing a decline caused by the loss, degradation and fragmentation of mature forests within its range (Farnsworth and Lebbin 2020). In Panama, it is suspected that 50% of the species' range has been deforested since the 1980s (G. R. Angehr in litt. 2011), while in Colombia, 85% of the original habitat has already been lost (Renjifo et al. 2016). The population in Colombia is suspected to have declined by 30% in the eleven years to 2011 (Fundación ProAves 2011), which equates to a decline of 28% over ten years over that period.
Within its global range, tree cover loss over the last ten years amounts to 7-12% (Global Forest Watch 2023, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). Given the species' strong preference for primary forest, population declines may be steeper than the rate of tree cover loss suggests, due to additional negative impacts of forest degradation and fragmentation. It is therefore here tentatively suspected that the population is declining at a rate of 20-29% over ten years.

Aphanotriccus audax is found from east Panama (Panamá and Darién) to north Colombia, where it occurs locally from Antioquia to Boyacá and north to the slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

It inhabits humid forest undergrowth and mid-storey near streams and swampy areas, preferring mature, closed-canopy forests (Fundación ProAves 2011, Renjifo et al. 2016, Farnsworth and Lebbin 2020). It feeds on insects, but its ecology is not well known (Renjifo et al. 2016).

Due to its preference for mature forests, the species is threatened by habitat destruction through conversion of forests following road-building (Alvarez-Cordero et al. 1994, Renjifo et al. 2016). Much of the original forests within the range has already been lost to deforestation, with the main drivers being agriculture and livestock grazing, palm oil plantations and gold mining (Renjifo et al. 2016).

Conservation Actions Underway
It occurs within several protected areas, including Darién National Park, Panama.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct surveys to locate additional populations and delimit the distribution range. Accurately quantify the population size. Investigate the species' ecology, dispersal abilities and population structure. Research the impact of forest loss, degradation and fragmentation on the population size. Survey at regular intervals to monitor population trends. Monitor rates of habitat loss within its range. Increase the area of suitable habitat that has protected status.

Text account compilers
Hermes, C.

Contributors
Angehr, G., Donegan, T., Isherwood, I., O'Brien, A., Sharpe, C.J., Symes, A. & Taylor, J.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black-billed Flycatcher Aphanotriccus audax. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-billed-flycatcher-aphanotriccus-audax on 23/11/2024.
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 23/11/2024.