VU
Mindoro Racquet-tail Prioniturus mindorensis



Taxonomy

Taxonomic note

Prioniturus discurus and P. mindorensis (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) were previously lumped as P. discurus following Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).

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.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - C2a(ii)

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2024 Vulnerable C2a(ii)
2016 Vulnerable C2a(ii)
2014 Vulnerable C2a(ii)
2012 Not Recognised
2008 Not Recognised
2004 Not Recognised
2000 Not Recognised
1994 Not Recognised
1988 Not Recognised
Species attributes

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

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 12,100 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 8000-25000 mature individuals poor estimated 2023
Population trend decreasing - inferred 2016-2029
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 5-19% - - -
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 5-19% - - -
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 5-19% - - -
Generation length 4.3 years - - -
Number of subpopulations 1 - - -
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation 100% - - -

Population justification: Most recently described as uncommon (Allen 2020), but Dutson et al. (1992) considered it 'common and conspicuous' during fieldwork in 1991.
Based on 584 point counts, Lee and Marsden (2008) calculated an average density of 88 birds/km2 (SE ± 20.8; detected in 77 points) in lowland forest, but based on citizen science data, where observations typically comprise 2-10 individuals (eBird 2024), this is suspected of being a (perhaps considerable) overestimate. Satellite data suggest a total of no more than c.800 km2 of remaining suitable habitat (data from Jung et al. [2020], analysed using sRedList [2023]), although some of this is degraded and at elevations marginal for this species. Moreover, not all birds counted are likely to have been mature individuals, especially given Lee and Marsden (2008) targeted their surveys to the breeding season. The global population size is therefore placed in a broad band of 8,000-24,000 mature individuals, with the minimum assuming a much-reduced estimate of 10 mature individuals/km2, with an arbitrary maximum value three times this.

Trend justification: Trend not well understood. During intensive fieldwork in 1991, Dutson et al. (1992) found this species to be 'common and conspicuous'. A little less than three decades later, Allen (2020) regarded it as uncommon. Whether this reflects a true reduction in abundance is difficult to determine, but it is now recorded in only c.70% of eBird checklists where it might reasonably be expected (eBird 2024). The main possible threats to this species are habitat loss and trapping. While historically rates of lowland forest cover loss were very high on Mindoro (BirdLife International 2001), recent rates have been much slower, and over the past three generations (13 years: 2010-2023) forest cover in this species' range was reduced by 5-7% (Global Forest Watch 2024, based on data from Hansen et al. [2013] and methods therein). Given this species' need for hollows to nest in, additional pressure of selective logging may have had a compounding impact, and only small areas of Mindoro's lowland forests have high intactness (Grantham et al. 2020). The threat of trapping is more abstract and difficult to quantify, but there is currently no evidence that this species is trapped at a scale or acuity capable of driving declines more than marginal. Accordingly, this species is suspected of declining at an ongoing rate of 5-19% over three generations.


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

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland major resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane suitable resident
Altitude 0 - 1000 m Occasional altitudinal limits (max) 1670 m

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
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 Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
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
Biological resource use Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
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 degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture international

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Mindoro Racquet-tail Prioniturus mindorensis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/mindoro-racquet-tail-prioniturus-mindorensis 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.