Current view: Data table and detailed info
Taxonomic note
Himalayapsitta finschii (Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International 2020) was previously listed as Psittacula finschii (del Hoyo et al. 2014). Braun et al. (2019) report the situation where the parrot genera Psittinus, Tanygnathus and Mascarinus nest genetically within Psittacula, meaning that either Psittacula replaces these latter three genera or it breaks down into monophyletic genera of their own. The latter course is preferred, building on Braun et al. (2016), where several genera were established, including Himalayapsitta for P. finschii, P. himalayana, P. roseata and P. cyanocephala.
Taxonomic source(s)
Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International. 2020. Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 5. Available at: https://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v5_Dec20.zip.
IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Red List history
| Migratory status |
not a migrant |
Forest dependency |
medium |
| Land-mass type |
|
Average mass |
- |
Population justification: There is little information on the population size of this species. It is the most common parrot in some areas of west Myanmar, is locally common in undisturbed areas of Thailand (Collar and Boesman 2020), and is likely the most widespread parakeet in Lao PDR (Timmins 2014) though now appears very scarce in the north (Duckworth et al. 1999, Fuchs et al. 2007, Timmins et al. in press). In Cambodia, the species is locally common in Mondolkiri, but rare elsewhere and potentially locally extinct from the south-west of the country with only a single historical record (Goes 2013). The species is reportedly uncommon across the rest of its range, and is considered rare in India and Bangladesh (Collar and Boesman 2020), but may be locally common in areas and subject to localised fluctuations in number and occurrence (Juniper and Parr 1998). There have been no surveys that provide or allow an estimation of the population size. Therefore, the current population size is unknown.
Trend justification: H. finschii has suffered from habitat loss across much of its range, with a c. 15% reduction in forest cover in its range over the past three generations (Global Forest Watch 2024, based on data from Hansen et al. [2013] and methods therein). However, these data in isolation may overestimate the impact of forest loss on this species, as it readily uses secondary regrowth, tea plantations, and cultivated land (Juniper and Parr 1998, Collar and Boesman 2020), and is also tolerant of more open habitats (Juniper and Parr 1998). However, the species is still reportedly impacted by habitat clearance, being generally more common in undisturbed forest (Collar and Boesman 2020). Within its range there has been a considerable increase in the Human Modification Index (calculated by sRedList [2023] using data from Theobald et al. [2020]) and habitat degradation is apparent (Grantham et al. 2020).
The likely most significant threat to this species is the pet trade, both domestic and international (Collar and Boesman 2020, TRAFFIC 2024). In Thailand, trade has likely been the main cause of declines (Juniper and Parr 1998). Sunday market surveys in Bangkok from 1966 and 1969 recorded over 2,000 individuals (McClure and Chaiyaphun 1971) but a survey of markets over a weekend in Bangkok in 2015 did not record the species (Chng and Eaton 2016). While the length of these surveys differ, the differences suggests the species has very likely declined in Thailand since the 1960s, and trade is likely (at least partially) to blame. Large numbers of the species have also been recorded in markets from Myanmar (Khaing 2019), where it is widely kept as a household pet, as in China (Zhang in litt. 2013, in Khaing 2019), and Lao PDR (Khaing 2019). Indeed, trapping is likely to be the chief reason for the species' decline in northern Lao PDR, along with nest robbery and hunting for food (Timmins et al. in press). The species has been absent from field surveys in northern Lao PDR post-1996, with all records in the northern highlands of captive birds only (Fuchs et al. 2007). The species has historically been recorded as locally common in another region of northern Lao PDR (David-Beaulieu 1944). However, the species does still persist in greatly reduced numbers in the lowlands and hills through southern and central Lao PDR (Timmins et al. in press). Trade is also suspected to be contributing to declines in Cambodia (Goes 2013). Although the causes are unknown, the species seems to have disappeared from south-west Cambodia, with several forest surveys since 1998 failing to find the species (Goes 2013).
Combining trapping pressure with the cumulative impacts of habitat loss and degradation, which is apparent across the species' entire range (Global Forest Watch 2024), declines in the population are likely in the range of 20-29% over three generations (18 years).
Country/territory distribution
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Grey-headed Parakeet Himalayapsitta finschii. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/grey-headed-parakeet-himalayapsitta-finschii 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.
