• 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. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	C2a(i)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2023	Vulnerable	C2a(i)
2016	Vulnerable	A3bc; C1+2a(i)
2012	Vulnerable	C2a(i)
2009	Vulnerable	C2a(i)
2008	Endangered
2004	Endangered
2000	Endangered
1996	Endangered
1994	Endangered
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type	shelf island	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	249,000 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	1250-3750 mature individuals	poor	estimated	2023
Population trend	decreasing	poor	inferred	2016-2029
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	15-25%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	15-29%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	15-29%	-	-	-
Generation length	4.3 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2-100	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: The cover of primary rainforest only in Madagascar in 2023 has been estimated at c. 25,000 km², based on a primary forest cover in 2000 of approximately 38,500 km² and an annual decline of 1.86% (L.-A. Réné de Roland in litt. 2023). From this, a precautionary population estimate was calculated of 1,250 to 2,500 mature individuals, using 0.2 individuals/km², as is the density estimated in Benamevika, which is considered optimal habitat for the species, but with the assumption that habitat in the rest of the island is not as optimal or that the species is does not occupy all available habitat at such a density as in Benamevika, with a wide range of between 1/3 and 2/3 of habitat occupied (L.-A. Réné de Roland in litt. 2023). However, were all habitat occupied, the population size would reach 3,750 mature individuals. Considering this, the population size is therefore placed in the wide but estimated band of 1,250-3,750 mature individuals.

Trend justification: The species is dependent on particularly primary but also secondary forests for its survival, and although it can use open habitats for hunting, it does not breed outside of forests. Therefore, the continued destruction and degradation of these habitats through clearance for subsistence cultivation, commercial logging and uncontrolled fires, can cause a decline in the species' population size, with an increasing human population also putting pressure on the species' remaining habitat (Du Puy and Moat 1996). The current population size is therefore inferred to be experiencing a continuing decline due to the loss of suitable key habitats. 
This habitat loss is supported by the estimates of forest cover loss within its range as reported by Global Forest Watch (2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein), which has been estimated at approximately 19% over the species' past three generations, and the past rate of decline of the species' population is suspected to be in line with the rate of decline of forest habitat and thus placed in a past decline range of 15-25%. This forest loss is projected to continue over the next three generations at a rate approximately between 18% (based on the rate of loss over the past three generations) and 29% (based on the rate of loss over the past five years [2017-2021]) (Global Forest Watch 2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). Therefore, again suspected to be in line with forest loss, the rate of future decline of the species' population is thus placed in the range of 15-29%, with the rate of decline having started accelerating in approximately 2012. Based on average annual forest loss rates of 2.07% between 2016-2021 (Global Forest Watch 2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein), the rate of forest loss within the species' range between 2016 and 2029 is estimated at between 15-29%. As the species' rate of population decline is suspected to be in step with the loss of its habitat, its rate of decline between 2016-2029 is also suspected to be within this range.

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

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Madagascar	Mantadia National Park and Analamazaotra Special Reserve
Madagascar	Marotandrano Special Reserve
Madagascar	Masoala National Park
Madagascar	Montagne d'Ambre National Park and Special Reserve
Madagascar	Tsaratanana Strict Nature Reserve and extension
Madagascar	Zahamena National Park and Strict Reserve

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels)	suitable	non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable Land	suitable	non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial	Plantations	suitable	non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial	Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest	suitable	non-breeding
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	suitable	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	0 - 2000 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Negligible declines		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Species disturbance, Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem conversion

Purpose	Scale
Food - human	subsistence
Medicine - human & veterinary	international

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Madagascar Red Owl Tyto soumagnei. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/madagascar-red-owl-tyto-soumagnei 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.