• 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
-	-	-

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2023	Least Concern
2016	Near Threatened	A2c+3c+4c;B1ab(i,ii,iii)
2012	Near Threatened	A2c+3c+4c;B1ab(i,ii,iii)
2011	Near Threatened	A2c; A3c; A4c; B1a+b(i,ii,iii)
2008	Near Threatened	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,v)
2004	Near Threatened
2000	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1994	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	low
Land-mass type	continent	Average mass	35 g

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	185,000 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	20000-49999 mature individuals	poor	suspected	2022
Population trend	decreasing	poor	inferred	-
Generation length	3.49 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	1	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	100%	-	-	-

Population justification: The global population is suspected to number fewer than 50,000 mature individuals (Partners in Flight 2022), thus it is here placed in the band 20,000-49,999 mature individuals.

Trend justification: The population is declining as a consequence of the loss, degradation and fragmentation of its habitat, mainly driven by agricultural conversion as well as housing and tourist developments (Cody and Sharpe 2020). Even though it can persist in small patches of scrub and forest habitat, extensive clearance of habitat is causing local declines, e.g. between 2003 and 2008 on Caye Caulker (B. W. Miller in litt. 2008).

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

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Belize	Belize Coastal and near shore islands
Belize	Belize Off-shore and Barrier Islands
Belize	Crooked Tree and associated wetlands
Belize	Northeastern Belize
Mexico	Isla Cozumel
Mexico	Sian Ka'an
Mexico	Uyumil Ce'h

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest	suitable	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	suitable	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level	suitable	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	suitable	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	major	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical Moist	suitable	resident
Altitude	0 - 240 m	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
Climate change & severe weather	Storms & flooding	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Problematic native species/diseases - Quiscalus mexicanus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success
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: Black Catbird Melanoptila glabrirostris. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-catbird-melanoptila-glabrirostris 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.