Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species is thought to have a relatively small population size, numbering 1,500-7,000 mature individuals. It is precautionarily suspected to be declining, but probably only slowly, in response to habitat loss and degradation driven principally by pastoralism and peat harvesting, but also infrastructure including roads. Its remote range probably buffers it from more rapid declines, but this should continue to be closely monitored. It is accordingly listed as Near Threatened.
Population justification
Despite its large vast range, P. mitchellii is very patchily distributed and is thought to have a small population size. Boyla and Estrada (2005) and Wetlands International (2012) both cite a best-guess estimate of less than 10,000 individuals. More recently, Lesterhuis et al. (in prep.) more precisely estimate 3,300 individuals. To account for considerably uncertainty, the total global population is estimate at 2,500-9,999 individuals, not all of which will be mature. The breeding population is estimated at c.1,500-7,000 mature individuals.
Trend justification
No monitoring data are available from which to robustly estimate trends. Precautionarily, suspected to be (probably slowly) declining, in response to a number of threats to its habitat including conversion of peatlands to agriculture, including the direct extraction of peat (Sayers II 2020). Peatlands in the Andes are also projected to contract in extent in response to climate change (Gibbons 2012) which may negatively impact this species.
Phegornis mitchelli is poorly known and perhaps naturally rare in the Andes of north-central Peru (from Ancash south [Clements and Shany 2001]) through north Chile and west Bolivia to south-central Chile and south-central Argentina.
It occurs in the puna zone on waterlogged mossy tundra and bogs with matted cushion-plant vegetation, especially Distichia bogs, with occasional records from gravel or grass on river plains and near lakes. It breeds at 2,850-5,000 m, and in the south of its range descends to 2,000 m in winter (Parker et al. 1996, Piersma 1996, Fernandes d'Oliveira and Rodríguez Moulin 1997).
Demand for water resources as well as overgrazing, road networks and human disturbance have been identified as threats in the high Altiplano in north-east Chile, as well as the conversion of peatlands to agriculture, and the direct extraction of peat (Rundel and Palma 2000, Sayers II 2020). Moreover, climate change has been identified as a threat to Andean peatlands (Gibbons 2012), which may affect this species.
Conservation Actions Underway
None is known.
Text account compilers
Symes, A., Ashpole, J, Sharpe, C.J., Berryman, A., Babarskas, M., Butchart, S., Benstead, P., Capper, D.
Contributors
Schlatter, R.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Diademed Plover Phegornis mitchellii. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/diademed-plover-phegornis-mitchellii on 23/11/2024.
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 23/11/2024.