Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has undergone a considerable range contraction over the last century and is now reduced to probably two subpopulations in the Sierra Madre Mountains, and in west Luzon from the Zambales Mountains south to Subic Bay. Combined, these populations are now thought to number as few as 300-800 mature individuals, with plausibly no more than 250 mature individuals in the largest subpopulation. The global population is probably still declining in response to ongoing habitat loss and degradation, as well as hunting. Accordingly this species is facing a very high risk of extinction, and therefore is listed as Endangered.
Population justification
The population size is now probably very small. Historically described as fairly common to abundant (e.g. Whitehead 1899, Gilliard 1950, Collar and Andrew 1988) but by the turn of the 21st century was already described as 'very rare on Luzon, and numbers must be small on Marinduque' (BirdLife International 2001). Now almost certainly extirpated from large parts of its range, including Marinduque, Quezon region and the Cordillera Mountains. Most recently described as 'rare and very local' (Allen 2020) and citizen science data (eBird 2024) affirm this suggestion, with records from only west Luzon (Zambales Mountains south to Subic Bay area [including Bataan NP]) and the Sierra Madre mountains. Distance sampling along nearly 500 km of line transects at 14 sites across Luzon in 2009-2010 multiplied by site-specific density estimates across reserve area, resulted in estimates of 246 individuals (95% CI: 42-1,434) in Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, and 174 (95% CI: 80-380) in Subic Bay Forest Reserve/Bataan Natural Park (Española et al. 2013). An additional population in the Zambales Mountains north of the latter was not surveyed but encounter rates there appear broadly similar to Subic Bay/Bataan (eBird 2024) and the area of suitable habitat is also similar, thus an equivalent population here is also estimated. All populations have likely declined since the estimates were made by Española et al. (2013) given ongoing threats of habitat loss and trapping, particularly in the Sierra Madre where these are perhaps most acute and from which there are very few records over the past decade (notwithstanding limited survey effort). Contemporary population sizes are therefore estimated at: 100-300 in the Sierra Madre, and 100-250 in each of the Subic Bay Forest Reserve/Bataan NP and Zambales Mountains, giving a total population size of 300-800 mature individuals.
Trend justification
Evidently has declined catastrophically in response to forest clearance, trapping, and perhaps other factors not yet fully understood. At one time known from hill forests across much of Luzon and Marinduque (BirdLife International 2001). Not recorded in the Cordillera mountains since specimens were collected in the 1890s, nor from Marinduque since 1970 (duPont 1972, Collar et al. 1999, BirdLife International 2001), although in both places the species probably persisted later than these dates suggest. Occurred in Quezon National Park (where apparently common during 1980s: Collar and Andrew 1988) up until at least the 1990s but no records since (BirdLife International 2001, Allen 2020, eBird 2024). Persists only in (1) the Subic Bay area and Zambales Mountains in the west, and (2) the Sierra Madre Mountains in the north-east. While the Subic Bay Forest Reserve is well protected (and numbers of this species probably stable), this represents only a small area of suitable habitat, and in the more expansive Zambales Mountains approximately 5% of forest cover has been lost since 2000 (with 2016 a particularly bad year for clearance) (Global Forest Watch 2024, based on data from Hansen et al. [2013] and methods therein). Moreover habitat continues to be degraded (Grantham et al. 2020) and new roads and trails (e.g. the Daang Kalikasan Road) have likely opened up new opportunities for trappers; given these threats have extirpated the species from elsewhere, it is highly likely the population here is declining. In the Sierra Madre, forest cover loss has been at a similar rate (c.6% since 2000; Global Forest Watch 2024) but concerningly this has been concentrated at the lowest elevations, which is likely to have disproportionately impacted this species (see BirdLife International 2001 for discussion on likely elevational preferences). Moreover, a rapid increase in the number of tracks traversing the Sierra Madre (particularly in the south) brings with it a concomitant increase in trapping pressure. While survey coverage of the Sierra Madre remains relatively low, it has been recorded on a concerningly low percentage of citizen science eBird checklists (eBird 2024) and surveys in December 2009-September 2010 by Española et al. (2013) found them at a density 30x lower than in west Luzon, suggesting potentially rapid declines in this region over the past three decades given it was still widespread there in the 1980s and 1990s (summary in BirdLife International 2001). The probable extirpation of Tanygnathus everetti from the Sierra Madre (see Collar et al. 2020) is evidence that threats in this region can operate an acuity capable of driving extirpation; in the absence of any threat mitigation it seems likely this population will continue to decline rapidly.
Overall, this species is inferred to be declining, although in the absence of any surveys following up the work of Española et al. (2013), or an attempt to quantify the impact of trapping, the rate of decline is currently unknown.
Prioniturus luconensis is endemic to the Philippines, where it is known from Luzon and Marinduque, but is almost certainly extinct on the latter. Recent records come from two regions: the Sierra Madre mountains in the north-east of Luzon, and the Subic Bay/Bataan NP/Zambles Mountains region in the west.
It is a species of the lowlands and foothills on Luzon, with records up to 1,000 m on Marinduque (where now extinct), but mostly below 700 m. While birds readily scatter into heavily degraded forests and open lands for foraging, it appears to be in some way dependent on lowland forests, probably for breeding.
Trapping for the cage-bird trade is a significant problem. Habitat loss has likely been a significant cause of declines over the past five decades, with almost all lowland forest on Luzon being cleared. While this species often visits degraded landscapes for foraging, it is probably dependent on relatively intact forests for breeding. Forest losses have been driven by a combination of shifting agriculture, local clearing of land, and much larger scale forestry. More recently, losses have been attritional and most likely caused by localised logging and land clearance; in some areas, this process has been allowed and expanded by the creation of new roads and tracks granting loggers (and trappers) access to hitherto remote forests. Preference for larger trees for selective logging may also have a disproportionate impact on this hollow-nesting species. There is also wholly unquantified evidence that this species in modified habitats may be being outcompeted/replaced by Prioniturus discurus.
Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II. National legislation exists to protect it from trade and hunting, although this is frequently violated. It is currently known from two protected areas, Bataan Natural Park/Subic Bay Forest Reserve and the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. The extent to which these designations confer actual protection is wholly unknown, as forest loss/degradation appear to be continuing at least in Northern Sierra Madre NP while surveys here found it rarer than would probably be expected (suggesting trapping here may be occurring).
30 cm. Green parrot with racquet-like tail extensions. Bright yellow-green head and breast. Rest of plumage green, darkest on wings and tail. Whitish-grey bill. Female is more uniform green, lacking yellow tones of male. Similar spp. Montane Racquet-tail P. montanus has blue on head. Possible confusion with Tanygnathus parrots, but is smaller, longer-tailed (with racquets) and has pale, not red, bill. Voice Raucous squawks interspersed with screeches and musical phrases.
Text account compilers
Berryman, A.
Contributors
Española, C., Hutchinson, R. & Jensen, A.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Green Racquet-tail Prioniturus luconensis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/green-racquet-tail-prioniturus-luconensis on 22/11/2024.
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 22/11/2024.