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

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
-	-	-

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2023	Near Threatened	B1b(iii,v)
2016	Vulnerable	B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2012	Vulnerable	B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2011	Vulnerable	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,iv,v)
2008	Not Recognised
2004	Not Recognised
2000	Not Recognised
1994	Not Recognised
1988	Not Recognised

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	medium
Land-mass type		Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	8,950 km2	good
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	5,260 km2
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	140000 mature individuals	medium	estimated	1986
Population trend	decreasing	medium	inferred	-
Generation length	5.24 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	5	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: The most recent total population estimate was 207,270 + 7,962 birds in 1986 (Scott et al. 1986, Gorresen et al. 2009), roughly equivalent to 140,000 mature individuals. There are three recognised subspecies, but variation in appearance is clinal and there is broad overlap (VanderWerf 2011). Population estimates for each subspecies are as follows: bryani c.2,500 birds in 1983; sandwichensis c.63,000 birds in 1983; and ridgwayi c.150,000 birds in 1976-1979 (Scott et al. 1986).

Trend justification: Surveys in the Central Windward region of Hawai`i from 1977 to 2003 indicate that the species was stable at high elevations and declining at low elevations (Gorresen et al. 2005). Since the 1980s density has decreased in leeward and mid-elevation windward areas (Gorresen et al. 2009). There is also evidence of a decline in the Ka`u region between 1976 and 2005 (Tweed et al. 2007). Its disappearance from Pohakuloa Training Area was recently noted (VanderWerf 2011), and declines have been detected in high elevation mamane-naio forests (E. VanderWerf in litt. 2011). In Pu‘u ‘O ‘Umi Natural Area Reserve on Kohala, surveys in 1979 and 2017 indicated a density decline of 8.4% (Burnett et al. 2021). Additionally, the species declined in the proportion of stations detected during 1998–2011 surveys in subalpine woodland habitat on Mauna Kea Volcano (Banko et al. 2013). A recent analysis of annual population density estimates in Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, with this region supporting 14% of the global population, showed that trends were inconclusive across all strata (open forest, closed forest and pasture) in the most recent decade 2010-2019 (Kendall et al. 2022). However density in closed forest alone declined by approximately 25% in the last three generations (Kendall et al. 2022). Given that the threats to this species have not ceased, the population is precautionarily inferred to be declining overall although the rate has not been quantified.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
USA	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
USA	Hamakua Forests
USA	Kau Forest
USA	Kona Forests
USA	Mauna Kea Mamane - Naio Forest
USA	Mauna Loa-Kilauea Forests

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Savanna	Dry	suitable	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude	major	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical Moist	suitable	resident
Altitude	300 - 2900 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching - Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Climate change & severe weather	Storms & flooding	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Felis catus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Herpestes auropunctatus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Plasmodium relictum	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Rattus rattus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Tyto alba	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Unspecified species	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Unspecified species	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Problematic native species/diseases - Asio flammeus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Problematic native species/diseases - Buteo solitarius	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Problematic species/disease of unknown origin - Named species	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Viral/prion-induced diseases - Avipoxvirus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Species mortality
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Hawaii Elepaio Chasiempis sandwichensis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/hawaii-elepaio-chasiempis-sandwichensis 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.