Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
Endemic to the island of Buru, Indonesia, Charmosyna toxopei is among the most poorly known of the world's parrots, with an extinction risk that is impossible to determine on current understanding. It has not been observed since 2014 and there remains considerable uncertainty over its habitat requirements and use. Survey effort of Buru's mid-elevations has been relatively good, such that if this is its favoured habitat, there is a real possibility that this species is very rare and highly threatened. Alternatively, it may favour Buru's scarcely explored upper montane forests, in which case it is possible that a relatively large, stable population persists. Because of these uncertainties, the species is listed as Data Deficient until more information becomes available.
Population justification
This species is one of the most enigmatic parrots in Wallacea, known from only a small series of specimens and handful of field observations, many of them unconfirmed.
The species was described from a series of seven specimens caught at 850-1,000 m by L. J. Toxopeus (Siebers 1930), the only collector (of at least 24) to visit Buru in the 20th century who detected it (Jepson 1993). There were additional claims of the species in the 1980s and 1990s (e.g. Smiet [1985], Marsden et al. [1997]; see BirdLife International [2001] for review) but despite reasonable search effort in lowland and mid-altitude forests (e.g. Reeve et al. 2014), it was not until 2014 that the species was unequivocally seen again, with two observed and photographed in November 2014 (Robson 2014), and four the following month (Robson et al. 2015)—both observations were made at c.1,300 m. There have been no records since (Rutt et al. 2024, eBird 2024).
While this pattern of records may ostensibly suggest a tiny population size and a species that is highly threatened, there remains considerable uncertainty with regards to this species' habitat use, rendering an evaluation of its population size particularly difficult. There remains plenty of suitable habitat at mid-elevation forests (i.e. where sightings of this species have come from) and in the absence of any trapping pressure (the species has never been recorded in trade) it is difficult to imagine what threat could have extirpated it. Nonetheless, the possible extinction of other similar lorikeet species (e.g. C. diadema and C. amabilis) in not wholly dissimilar circumstances does leave open the possibility that this species has become highly threatened by an unidentified threat.
Alternatively, however, previous interpretations of its habitat use could have been mistaken. It is possible that this species is instead a high-elevation specialist, only sporadically descending to lower (=mid-) elevations during flowering events. The highlands of Buru are very poorly explored: most birdwatchers and ornithologists visit mid-elevation forests below 1,500 m, and the areas above this are almost wholly unknown, despite Buru rising to c.2,700 m. It therefore remains entirely possible that a moderately large population of this species exists in these unexplored montane forests, and that scant observations simply reflect the absence of appropriate search effort in its range.
Accordingly, the population size of this species is considered unknown, with a very small, or moderately large, population size both entirely plausible.
Trend justification
Unknown due to a paucity of information about its habitat needs. If this species favours lowland or mid-elevation forests, it is likely to be declining in response to ongoing forest loss (Global Forest Watch 2024) and degradation (Grantham et al. 2020). However if it favours higher montane forests there is little plausible threat which could be driving declines (except for climate change, although this is wholly hypothetical) and the species may be stable. Accordingly its trend is unknown.
Charmosyna toxopei is endemic to the island of Buru, Maluku province, Indonesia. Its distribution on the island is obscure. It was described from a series of seven specimens caught at 850-1,000 m by L. J. Toxopeus (Siebers 1930), the only collector (of at least 24) to visit Buru in the 20th century who found it (Jepson 1993), immediately suggesting its habitat and elevation use was not catholic. Additional claims of the species in the 1980s and 1990s were made (e.g. Smiet [1985], Marsden et al. [1997]; see BirdLife International [2001] for review) but none with incontrovertible evidence and most searches of the island revealed no claim (Reeve et al. 2014). It was seen again in November 2014 at c.1,300 m (Robson 2014, Robson et al. 2014), but there have been no records since (Rutt et al. 2024, eBird 2024).
Largely unknown. Original series of seven specimens were collected at 850-1,000 m, and were said to be feeding on nectar and pollen, in trees apparently on level land (Siebers 1930). The only other confirmed observations, in 2014, were from c.1,300 m and also feeding in flowering trees (Robson 2014, Robson et al. 2015). There have been additional claims from coconut plantations and forests at c.600 m, but these are unconfirmed. This pattern of records has been interpreted as suggesting the species is a mid-elevation forest specialist. Whilst ostensibly reasonable, these forests remain largely intact (Global Forest Watch 2024), are well-surveyed (eBird 2024), and it is entirely obscure why, if this is its preferred habitat, records have been so sparse. An alternative hypothesis is that the species typically inhabits Buru's almost wholly unexplored upper montane forests (1,500-2,700m) and only occasionally descends to mid-elevations during flowering events; this scenario is also entirely congruent with the pattern of records, and might explain why it goes unobserved for years (in some cases decades).
In the absence of certainty over its habitat use, the threats to this species are wholly unknown.
Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II. An area of 1,450 km2 on Gunung Kelapatmada in the west of the island is proposed as a reserve. It remains to be confirmed whether this site meets the conservation needs of all Buru's threatened landbirds. The Wildlife Conservation Society continues to operate wildlife crime market/trade surveillance and enforcement. This includes the trade hubs of both east and west Indonesia, and the work is set for considerable expansion in the coming years. They are also exploring the potential for habitat protection-based projects on Buru (N. Brickle in litt. 2007). A visit to Buru in May and June 2010 raised awareness of the species and its conservation amongst local people, and a return visit is intended (A. Gray in litt. 2010).
Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct widespread surveys ranging out from the Lake Rana area (and potentially also Teluk Bara area), to establish its current status, distribution, habitat requirements and movements. If key sites for the species are identified, propose their establishment as strict protected areas.
16 cm. Slender, forest-dwelling lorikeet. Male predominantly green, yellowish-green on breast. Orange bill and legs, pale blue forecrown. Yellow band across underside of secondaries. Female has reduced blue on crown and stronger band on secondaries. Similar spp. Female Red-breasted Pygmy-parrot Micropsitta bruijnii has short tail and contrastingly pale cheeks and throat. Female Red-flanked Lorikeet C. placentis (probably absent from Buru) has streaked cheeks. Voice Very shrill ti...ti...ti...ti-ti-ti has been reported, probably given in flight.
Text account compilers
Berryman, A.
Contributors
Brickle, N., Gray, A., Halaouate, M., Poulsen, M., Gilardi, J., Robson, C. & Khwaja, N.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Blue-fronted Lorikeet Charmosyna toxopei. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/blue-fronted-lorikeet-charmosyna-toxopei 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.