• 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
-	-	B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2021	Vulnerable	B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v)
2016	Vulnerable	B1ab(ii,iv,v)
2012	Vulnerable	B1ab(ii,iv,v)
2008	Vulnerable	B1a+b(ii,iv,v)
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Threatened

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

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	92,000 km2	medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	508 km2
Number of locations	6-10	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	4300-6300, 5300 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2016
Population trend	decreasing	poor	inferred	-
Generation length	4.41 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	7-9	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: In the Society Islands, there were possibly up to 250 pairs on Motu One and 350-400 pairs on Manuae respectively in 1973 (Thibault 1974). In 2015, the population size on Manuae was found to be stable and the population on Maupiha'a was estimated to be 200-300 individuals (J.-C. Thibault in litt. 2020). 

In Tuamotu, there were 100-200 birds on Rangiroa, and small flocks on several other atolls in 1973 (D. Holyoak pers. comm. 1973). A minimum of 300 individuals were estimated on Tiamanu Motu in Apataki atoll in 1989 (Lovegrove et al. 1989). On Tikehau, 30 pairs were counted in 1984 (Poulsen et al. 1984), and at least 50 individuals on one motu in 2001 (Serra 2001). Surveys in 2005-2006 estimated populations of 1,258 (+/- 351) on Apataki, 2,546 (+/- 485) on Aruatua, 778 (+/157) on Kaukara, 1,249 (+/-173) on Rangiroa, and 49 (+/24) on Tikehau, resulting in a total population estimate for Tuamotu of 5,879 (+/-643; Ziembicki and Raust 2006). Estimated population densities ranged from 40 individuals per km² in the presence of rats to 580 individuals per km² in favourable habitat on Arutua. In 2016, it was reported that the population on Rangiroa was stable (Blanvillain et al. 2016), but that the population on Tikehau was possibly extinct (C. Blanvillain in litt. 2020).

The total population size in French Polynesia is estimated to fall within the range 6,500 - 9,400 individuals, which roughly equates to 4,300 - 6,300 mature individuals, with a best estimate of 5,300 mature individuals.

On Aitutaki, where it was probably introduced, numbers have been estimated at several hundred individuals (Wilson 1993), 2,400 individuals and 1,000 individuals (Raust and Ziembicki 2006). The apparent differences may be attributable to differing census techniques (G. McCormack verbally 1999). In 2009, the island population was estimated at 4,200 individuals (Koutsofta unpub. in Jennings 2011), and following Cyclone Pat in 2010, the island population was estimated at 1,448 birds by distance sampling (Jennings 2011). The population on Aitutaki is not included in the global population size estimate because Aitutaki is unlikely to be part of the species's native range.

The species is able to fly between motus and has been observed flying between islands five kilometres apart (Ziembicki and Raust 2006). In French Polynesia, the species is likely to have between seven and nine subpopulations. The largest is thought to be on Arutua, with an estimated population size of 2,546 (+/- 485) individuals, roughly equating to 1,300 - 2,100 mature individuals, which may represent approximately a third of the total French Polynesian population.

Trend justification: The species has been gradually lost from islands where Black Rats or Swamp Harriers have colonised. Recent range contractions have been recorded. The species is now absent from the eastern Apataki atoll, where it was previously recorded in the 1920s (Ziembicki and Raust 2006). On Tikehau, local people report that the species was previously more widespread and occurred on the main islets a few decades ago (Ziembicki and Raust 2006). On Kaukura, the species disappeared from Faro in the 1980s (Ziembicki and Raust 2006). The population on Tikehau may now be extinct (C. Blanvillain in litt. 2020).

In the Tuamotus, similar numbers of individuals were counted at the same sites during surveys in 2006 as in surveys over the previous 20 years, although the population on some islands appeared to have declined (Raust and Ziembicki 2006; Ziembicki and Raust 2006). The population on Tiamanu Motu in Apataki atoll was allegedly smaller in 1989 than it had been previously (Lovegrove et al. 1989). The populations on Manuae and Rangiroa appeared to be stable in 2015-2016 (Blanvillain et al. 2016; J.-C. Thibault in litt. 2020).

Overall, the species's population size is inferred to be declining. The rate of decline is not known.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Cook Islands	extant	introduced	yes
French Polynesia	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Cook Islands	Aitutaki
French Polynesia	Apataki, Arutua et Kaukura (Îles Palliser)
French Polynesia	Manuae, Motu One et Maupihaa
French Polynesia	Motu de l'ouest et du sud de Rangiroa
French Polynesia	Tikehau

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Plantations	suitable	resident
Artificial/Terrestrial	Rural Gardens	suitable	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Altitude		Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Wood & pulp plantations - Small-holder plantations	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Storms & flooding	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Circus approximans	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Competition, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Felis catus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Rattus rattus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem conversion

Purpose	Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture	subsistence, national, international

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/blue-lorikeet-vini-peruviana on 22/11/2024.
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 22/11/2024.