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

Justification of Red List category
This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size may be moderately small to large, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Trend justification
The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats (del Hoyo et al. 1996).

Behaviour This species is a sedentary endemic of Madagascar (Taylor and van Perlo 1998), its breeding season stretching between October and September (del Hoyo et al. 1996). It is territorial both during the breeding and non-breeding seasons (Taylor and van Perlo 1998), and lives alone or in solitary pairs (Langrand 1990). Habitat The species frequents a wide variety of habitats, such as grasslands in clearings and on the edges of undisturbed and degraded rain forests, dense cultivation, and large fern, thick grass and Philippia (Ericaceae) scrublands. It is also common in marshes with long grass, reeds and sedges, and in rice paddy-fields (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998). Diet The diet of this species is little known, with only insects and seeds being recorded (Langrand 1990, del Hoyo et al. 1996). Breeding site The nest is a woven ball of wide grass blades constructed on the ground in dense grass (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Taylor and van Perlo 1998).

Text account compilers
Ekstrom, J., Butchart, S., Malpas, L.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Madagascar Flufftail Sarothrura insularis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/madagascar-flufftail-sarothrura-insularis 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.