Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has a very small population. It is currently not considered to be under imminent threat; habitat loss and consequent range and population declines are low, but may increase in the future. The species is therefore listed as Vulnerable.
Population justification
The population is inferred to number 1,000-2,499 individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size. This is consistent with recorded population density estimates for congeners or close relatives with a similar body size, and the fact that only a proportion of the estimated Extent of Occurrence is likely to be occupied. This is roughly equivalent to 667-1,666 mature individuals, rounded here to 600-1,700 mature individuals.
Trend justification
The population trend has not been estimated directly. The only threat known to the species is the loss of its habitat; yet forest loss within the range has been very low over the past ten years (< 1%; Global Forest Watch 2020). However, models revealed that available habitat in the species’s altitudinal range will decrease by c. 24% across Ecuador and Colombia by the end of this century (Renjifo et al. 2014). Therefore, the species is tentatively suspected to be in a slow decline, the rate of which is not thought to exceed 10% over ten years.
Bangsia aureocincta occurs on the Pacific slope of the West Andes, Colombia. Four specimens were collected in the vicinity of Cerro Tatamá (Risaralda/Chocó/Valle del Cauca border) between 1909 and 1946, but it was not found by surveys during the 1990s and may be locally extinct (Wege and Long 1995, Stiles 1998). Since 1946, it has been recorded at Alto de los Galápagos (Valle del Cauca/Chocó border) (C. Acevedo per N. Gómez in litt. 1999, Farthing 2001), the Caramanta massif at Alto de Pisones (Risaralda), where it is common to abundant (Stiles 1998), and recently in Las Orquídeas National Park (Antioquia) (Renjifo et al. 2002).
The species inhabits dense humid, mossy cloud-forest, sometimes with natural tree gaps breaking the canopy, between 1,600 and 2,195 m (Salaman and Stiles 1996, Stiles 1998, P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1999, Renjifo et al. 2014). The species is found at the principal cloud interception point on the Pacific slope of the western Cordillera; thus the altitudinal range at any site is very narrow, covering 100-200 m of elevation, with the highest elevations in the northern part of the range (Fundación ProAves in litt. 2020). The species feeds primarily on fruit (stomachs of collected birds contained 70-90% fruit), but also insects when foraging in mixed-species flocks (Stiles 1998). The breeding season is thought to be concentrated in March and April (Stiles 1998).
The species is threatened by the loss of its habitat. Deforestation in parts of the range has been severe in the past, but has slowed down considerably in more recent years or even reversed, with areas being reforested (Renjifo et al. 2014, Tracewski et al. 2016, Global Forest Watch 2020). On the Caramanta massif, the species occurs in a large forest block, which is effectively intact from 800-1,000 m to over 2,000 m (Wege and Long 1995, F. G. Stiles in litt. 1999). Although the region is inhabited by Emberá Indians, further colonisation will inevitably lead to deforestation through small-scale agriculture and subsistence activities (Salaman and Stiles 1996, Stiles 1998, F. G. Stiles in litt. 1999). Models of future habitat availability in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador project 24% habitat loss by the end of the century in the altitudinal band of the species (Renjifo et al. 2014).
Conservation Actions Underway
Tatamá National Park protects the type-locality, and is just north of Alto de Galápagos (Wege and Long 1995), but the recently discovered populations remain unprotected. It also occurs in Las Orquídeas National Park (Renjifo et al. 2002). Environmental education programmes aimed at increasing awareness for the species are are carried out in several communities across the range (Renjifo et al. 2014). Formerly considered Endangered at the national level in Colombia (Renjifo et al. 2002), the species has recently been downlisted to nationally Vulnerable (Renjifo et al. 2014).
16 cm. Curiously-shaped black, dark green and yellow tanager. Mostly dark green, with black head and yellow ring formed by postocular supercilium curving behind ear-coverts and joining malar to base of bill. Black throat, yellow central breast. Similar spp. Bears superficial resemblance to Slaty-capped Shrike-vireo Vireolanius leucotis. Voice Song consists of sharp, penetrating, high-pitched whistles or thin, watery trills, tseeuurr, delivered in groups of 3-6. Short, twittered trill on lower pitch often given when alarmed or excited. Also chip and chit contact notes.
Text account compilers
Stuart, T., Capper, D., Isherwood, I., Hermes, C., Sharpe, C.J.
Contributors
Acevedo, C., Fundación ProAves, Gomez, N., Lara, S., Salaman, P.G.W., Stiles, F.G., Symes, A. & Pople, R.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Gold-ringed Tanager Bangsia aureocincta. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/gold-ringed-tanager-bangsia-aureocincta 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.