• 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
D	D	D1

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2024	Critically Endangered	D
2016	Endangered	C2a(i)
2013	Endangered	C2a(i)
2012	Vulnerable	A2c+3c+4c;B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v);C2a(i)
2008	Vulnerable	A2c; A3c; A4c; B1a+b(i,ii,iii,iv,v); C2a(i)
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	continent	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	144,000 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	1-200 mature individuals	poor	estimated	2023
Population trend	unknown	poor	-	-
Generation length	3.56 years	-	-	-

Population justification: Very poorly known, but any remaining population must now be very small. It was described historically as local, but not very rare, although even by the 1930s it was documented as declining in Manipur and there has not been a confirmed record since 1932 (BirdLife International 2001). An unconfirmed observation was made from Dibru-Saikhowa Wildlife Sanctuary in March 1998, followed by another sighting in Manas National Park, Assam, in 2006 (Choudhury 2006).

In Manipur and Nagaland there have been few recent surveys, but very little suitable habitat remains and hunting is an ongoing tradition in these states with no evidence of this species being captured (as might reasonably be expected given it was evidently hunted quite commonly historically [BirdLife International 2001]). In Assam, where the species is considered most likely to persist (A. Rahmani and Praveen J in litt. 2024), surveys of numerous sites for other grassland species (e.g. Rahmani 2016) have failed to find it, and it is unclear whether management of the many tiger reserves in this region provides adequate habitat for this species (owing to uncertainty on its requirements). Notably, Synoicus chinensis is still dedicated frequently in north-east India, despite also having detectability that is at least ostensibly similar. This pattern of effort suggests that any remaining population of this species is probably now very small, placed here in a band of 1-200 mature individuals. Comprehensive surveys dedicated to this species are urgently needed.

Trend justification: In the absence of confirmed sightings since 1932, there are no data from which to estimate or infer trends. It has evidently declined since it was first discovered in response to the widespread clearance and degradation of grasslands (BirdLife International 2001) but given uncertainty over where persisting populations may be and the threats facing them directly, the current population trend is wholly unknown.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Bangladesh	possibly extinct	uncertain
India	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
India	Buxa Tiger Reserve (National Park)
India	Dibru - Saikhowa Complex
India	Manas Reserve Forest

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Grassland	Temperate	major	resident
Shrubland	Temperate	suitable	resident
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)	suitable	resident
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)	suitable	resident
Altitude	0 - 1000 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
		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Species disturbance, Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression - Trend Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Species disturbance, Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality

Purpose	Scale
Food - human	subsistence, national

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Manipur Bush-quail Perdicula manipurensis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/manipur-bush-quail-perdicula-manipurensis 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.