• 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. 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.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	A2c+3c+4c

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2021	Vulnerable	A2c+3c+4c
2018	Vulnerable	A2cd
2016	Vulnerable	A2cd
2012	Vulnerable	A2cd+3cd+4cd
2008	Vulnerable	A2c,d; A3c,d; A4c,d
2004	Least Concern
2000	Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994	Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type		Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	63,700 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	87000-378000 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2001
Population trend	decreasing	poor	inferred	2020-2064
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	20-40%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	20-40%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	20-40%	-	-	-
Generation length	14.55 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	1	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	100%	-	-	-

Population justification: It is usually encountered in pairs, but birds may congregate in flocks of up to 40 individuals (Marsden et al. 2001). The species was frequently encountered in primary and disturbed forest during surveys in 1997-1998 and 2010 (Davis et al. 2018). Its population density has been estimated at 27 (+/- 12) and 73 (+/- 24) individuals per km² in primary forest, 64 (+/- 24) individuals per km² in selectively logged forest, and 6 (+/- 3.5) and 28 (+/- 20) individuals per km² in forest gardens (Marsden et al. 2001). It is widely distributed across the island, and in 1996 most remaining forest was considered to be of adequate quality to support a reasonal population density (Marsden et al. 2001). However, parrot species are known to make altitudinal and seasonal movements, so occupancy may not be uniform across all available habitat (Marsden et al. 2001). Based on the lowest density estimate across all habitats (6 individuals per km²), the lowest density estimate for primary forest (26 individuals per km²), and an estimated area of forest of 19,200 km² in 1996, the population size was previously tentatively estimated at approximately 115,000 - 499,000 individuals (Marsden et al. 2001). The area of forest cover in 2000 was later estimated at 21,833 km² (Buchanan et al. 2008). Based on the same density estimates and the new estimate of forest area, the population estimate can be revised to c. 131,000 - 568,000 individuals. This roughly equates to 87,000-378,000 mature individuals. There is assumed to be a single subpopulation.

Trend justification:

Although the species may still appear to be relatively numerous, it is long-lived and declines in reproductive output, due to loss of large hollow-bearing trees suitable for nesting, may be masked.

Buchanan et al. (2008) calculated the amount of forest loss within the species's range on New Britain as 11.6% over the period 1989-2000. Extrapolating back to 1976 and assuming the rate of deforestation remained constant, approximately 25% of forest may have been lost from the species's range from 1976 to 2000. Over 2000-2019, approximately 9% of tree cover with at least 50% canopy cover was lost from the species's range (Global Forest Watch 2021). Combining these figures and extrapolating to 2020, approximately 35% of forest in the species's range may have been lost over the past three generations (44 years).

From 2016-2019, approximately 2.8% of tree cover with at least 50% canopy cover was lost from within the species's range (Global Forest Watch 2021). Extrapolating rates of tree cover loss over 2000-2019 and over 2016-2019 forward over three generations, it is suspected that 24-32% of tree cover may be lost from the species's range over the next three generations.

Although the species occurs at similar densities in primary and in selectively logged forest (Marsden et al. 2001), it is found at much lower densities in forest gardens and it avoids oil palm plantations (Marsden et al. 2001; Marsden and Pilgrim 2003). It also appears to nest mainly in primary forest (Marsden et al. 2001, Marsden and Pilgrim 2003). It is therefore assumed that the population size will decline roughly in line with forest loss, although there may be a delayed response due to the species's slow life history. The species's population size is therefore suspected to be declining at a rate placed in the band 20-40% over three generations.

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

Country/Territory	IBA Name

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Plantations	marginal	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	0 - 1600 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
		Stresses Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Purpose	Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture	subsistence, national

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Blue-eyed Cockatoo Cacatua ophthalmica. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/blue-eyed-cockatoo-cacatua-ophthalmica on 24/11/2024.
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 24/11/2024.