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

Taxonomic note

Setophaga angelae (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) was previously placed in the genus Dendroica following AOU (1998 & supplements); Sibley & Monroe (1990, 1993); Stotz et al. (1996).

 

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	B1ab(ii,iii,v)	B1ab(ii,iii,v); D2

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2020	Endangered	B1ab(ii,iii,v)
2017	Endangered	B1ab(ii,iii,v)
2016	Vulnerable	D2
2012	Vulnerable	D2
2008	Vulnerable	D2
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1994	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type		Average mass	8 g

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	1,200 km2	medium
Number of locations	2	-
Severely fragmented?	yes	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	1800 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2006
Population trend	decreasing	poor	inferred	1998-2008
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	10-25%	-	-	-
Generation length	2.37 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: The population has been estimated to number at least 1,800 mature individuals, based on censuses conducted using playback methods. This is roughly equivalent to at least 2,700 individuals in total. Surveys by Arendt et al. (2013) in the El Yunque National Forest found a population density of 0.02 individuals/ha in elfin woodland and 0.2 individuals/ha in palo colarado forest in 2006. This protected area is estimated to contain 368 ha of elfin woodland and 3,441 ha of palo colorado forest (USFWS 2016). Using the above population densities and habitat areas, the population in the El Yunque National Forest is estimated to number c.700 individuals. Based on habitat-specific population densities found by Gonzales (2008) and the estimated areas of each habitat within the Maricao forest (USFWS 2016), the population in the Maricao forest is estimated at c.2,000 individuals. The population is estimated as 2,700 individuals, which equates to 1,800 mature individuals.

Trend justification: The species is may have declined in recent years owing to habitat degradation. A study by Arendt et al. (2013) at El Yunque National Forest found a decline from 0.2 to 0.02 individuals/ha in elfin woodland and a decline from 1 to 0.2 individuals/ha in palo colarado forest between 1989 and 2006 which may equate to a decline of 10-25% over 3 generations or 10 years. There is no indication that the population in Maricao Forest and adjacent land has declined, although habitat loss in the adjacent land is ongoing. An overall, ongoing population decline is therefore assumed.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Puerto Rico (to USA)	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Puerto Rico (to USA)	Carite
Puerto Rico (to USA)	El Yunque
Puerto Rico (to USA)	Maricao and Susúa

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	170 - 1030 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching - Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Ecosystem conversion
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Storms & flooding	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Ecosystem conversion
Residential & commercial development	Tourism & recreation areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Elfin Woods Warbler Setophaga angelae. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/elfin-woods-warbler-setophaga-angelae 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.