• 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
-	-	D2

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2018	Vulnerable	D2
2016	Vulnerable	D2
2012	Vulnerable	D2
2008	Vulnerable	D2
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type		Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	4 km2	medium
Number of locations	2	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	1500-7000 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2012
Population trend	stable	medium	suspected	1998-2008
Generation length	4.9 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2	-	-	-

Population justification: The species's population fluctuates widely, probably averaging around 5,000 birds. Carrying capacity for the species has been estimated at 10,000 individuals (M. Morin in litt. 2012), and so its population is best placed in the band 2,500-9,999 individuals. This equates to 1,667-6,666 mature individuals, rounded here to 1,500-7,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification: The current trend is unclear. Large fluctuations were recorded over the period 1968-1990, but this may be partly due to the varying methods and seasons of censuses (Morin and Conant 1994). There has been a dramatic increase in the numbers on Southeast Island, in Pearl and Hermes Reef Atoll, since the successful invasion of golden crown beard Verbesina encelioides, which provides nesting habitat and food. The negative impacts of Verbesina on seabirds dictates that it be removed from the atoll in spite of its benefits to the species (S. Conant in litt. 2003). The population of T. cantans crashed after the first efforts to control Verbesina, but the abundance of Verbesina has since increased (S. Conant in litt. 2007). The overall population is judged to have experienced unquantified fluctuations over the last ten years.

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

Country/Territory	IBA Name
USA	Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Grassland	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	major	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	major	resident
Altitude		Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Biological resource use	Gathering terrestrial plants - Unintentional effects (species is not the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Whole (>90%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Climate change & severe weather	Storms & flooding	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Whole (>90%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Plasmodium relictum	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, 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	Viral/prion-induced diseases - Avipoxvirus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Laysan Finch Telespiza cantans. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/laysan-finch-telespiza-cantans on 23/12/2024.
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 23/12/2024.