• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Climate Change maps
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size may be small, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Population justification
The population is suspected to number 1,000-10,000 individuals, roughly equating to 670-6,700 mature individuals.

Trend justification
The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing destruction of its wetland habitats (del Hoyo et al. 1996), but the rate of this decline has not been quantified.

Behaviour The movements of this species are largely unknown although it is likely to be entirely sedentary (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Outside of the breeding season it may be displaced locally following habitat reduction by burning however (del Hoyo et al. 1996). The timing of breeding varies geographically, although the species appears to breed during the rains in the southern part of its range (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998). It is likely to breed in solitary pairs and is solitary (or at least territorial) throughout the year (Taylor and van Perlo 1998). Habitat The species shows a preference for habitats with dense, lush grass and other vegetation between 0.7 and 1.5 m high, in areas with shallow mud and water (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998). Suitable habitats include patches of savanna in lowland forest, grassy marshes in savanna and along lake shores, rank grass and sedge along wet drainage lines, in miombo woodland, open secondary growth, and moist post-cultivation growth dominated by Aframomum spp. and arrowroot in forest (north-east Gabon) (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998). Occurs to 700 m (Quintero and Jetz 2018). Diet Its diet is little known but may include insects (e.g. small black ants) and seeds (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998). Breeding site The nesting characteristics and breeding site of this species are undescribed (Urban et al. 1986, Taylor and van Perlo 1998).

The species may be threatened by the destruction of wetland habitats (del Hoyo et al. 1996).

Text account compilers
Rotton, H.

Contributors
Butchart, S., Ekstrom, J. & Malpas, L.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Chestnut-headed Flufftail Sarothrura lugens. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/chestnut-headed-flufftail-sarothrura-lugens on 26/12/2024.
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 26/12/2024.