• 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
-	-	B1ab(ii,iii,iv)+2ab(ii,iii,iv); D1

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2023	Vulnerable	B1ab(ii,iii,iv)+2ab(ii,iii,iv)
2016	Vulnerable	C2a(ii)
2012	Vulnerable	C2a(ii)
2008	Vulnerable	C2a(ii)
2004	Vulnerable
2002	Vulnerable
2000	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1994	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

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

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	4,430 km2	medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	500 km2
Number of locations	6-15	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	500-2500 mature individuals	poor	suspected	2023
Population trend	decreasing	poor	suspected	2012-2028
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	5-15%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-9%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-9%	-	-	-
Generation length	5.46 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2-4,2	-	-	-

Population justification: The status and population size of this species are very poorly known. There are no recent confirmed sightings of the nominate taxon from Car Nicobar, where there has apparently been widespread conversion of forest to coconut palm plantations (Praveen J in litt. 2023). During three years of surveys, R. Sankaran sighted 20-25 individuals of this species in its entire known range, and no sightings of this species were obtained in the coastal habitats of the Nicobar Islands during fieldwork in 2006 (K. Sivakumar in litt. 2012), whilst fieldwork from March 2009 to August 2011 produced only two sightings of single birds on Nancowry Island (A. P. Zaibin in litt. 2012). In recent eBird checklists from Kamorta and Nancowry, it is the least frequently recorded endemic. Robust estimates of abundance are lacking, but evidence strongly supports that this species occurs at a low density. Accordingly, and acknowledging considerable uncertainty, the population is suspected to number 500-2,500 mature individuals.

Trend justification: In the most recent three generations (16 years: 2006-2022) forest cover extent in the species' range reduced by c. 5% (Global Forest Watch 2023, based on data from Hansen et al. [2013] and methods disclosed therein). Given that the species is apparently restricted to forest habitats, it is suspected to be declining at a similar rate to that of forest loss. Moreover, habitat degradation, and potentially some hunting (A. Singh in litt. 2023) may be driving additive declines, although the latter threat is wholly speculative. Accordingly, the species is suspected to be declining at an ongoing rate of 5-15%.

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

Country/Territory	IBA Name
India	Car Nicobar
India	Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar
India	Tillangchong, Camorta, Katchal, Nancowry and Trinkat

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Altitude	0 - 100 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		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Unknown		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Nicobar Sparrowhawk Accipiter butleri. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/nicobar-sparrowhawk-accipiter-butleri 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.