Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species is inferred to be suffering a moderately rapid population decline due to habitat conversion throughout its range. However, it is adaptable and tolerant of degradation, as long as some habitat remains. As such the species is evaluated as Near Threatened.
Population justification
No population estimate has been made, but it is often the commonest species within the rather specialised habitat in which it occurs (Mahood et al. 2013, Goes 2014, eBird 2022).
Trend justification
Suitable habitat for this species is decreasing in extent (Google Earth 2022, S. Mahood in litt. 2022) and this is inferred to be causing ongoing population declines, as the species has been lost from some sites (Mahood et al. 2013). The rate of these declines is difficult to quantify, although based on approximations using remote sensing data, is suspected at a rate of 5-20% over the past ten years. This should be closely monitored in the future, with development plans for this region, if enacted, potentially having significant consequences on the extent and suitability of habitat (see, e.g., Horton et al. 2022).
This recently-described species is found within the extent of the seasonally flooded dense scrub within the floodplain of the Tonle Sap, Mekong and Bassac Rivers in Cambodia (Mahood et al. 2013).
It occupies dense humid evergreen scrub 2-6 m tall in areas that experience flooding on an annual basis (Mahood et al. 2013). It is considered to likely rely on human disturbance of the floodplain habitat that prevents tall floodplain forest from establishing in this region continually inhabited by people for an exceedingly long time (Mahood et al. 2013).
The species has already been noted to have disappeared from one site following conversion to aquaculture ponds (Mahood et al. 2013). Despite this, it is considered that the species still occurs at numerous sites where the principal threat is considered to be habitat loss. While the species is anticipated to be able to recover from events such as fires, and additional areas of scrub are likely to appear in new sites to replace some that is lost, the ongoing conversion of habitat is inferred to have caused a population reduction. Future development, especially dams, may cause additional losses and conversion of habitat.
Conservation actions underway
None known.
Conservation actions proposed
Quantify the population size. Investigate the impacts of dense scrub clearance on individual behaviour and inferred population consequences. Protect areas of suitable habitat.
11 cm. Somewhere betwixt Ashy and Dark-necked Tailorbirds, there scratches one more in dense and thorny scrub. An orange crown matches the orange eye, below which the face is plain and pale grey. A darker grey stretches from the hindneck through the upperparts, while the underparts are white, aside from heavy blackish streaking on the lower throat and upper breast.
Text account compilers
Berryman, A.
Contributors
Mahood, S., Martin, R. & Westrip, J.R.S.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Cambodian Tailorbird Orthotomus chaktomuk. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/cambodian-tailorbird-orthotomus-chaktomuk on 25/12/2024.
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 25/12/2024.