Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely 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 has not been quantified, 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.
Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as common (del Hoyo et al. 2005), while national population sizes have been estimated at c.10,000-1,000,000 breeding pairs in China and < c.10,000 introduced breeding pairs in Taiwan (Brazil 2009). During the ‘Big Month’ citizen science event (conducted in January 2020 comprising 22,054 checklists) across Java and Bali however, the species was recorded in just 9 (0.11%) of the 7,935 tetrads (2 × 2 km squares) visited (T. Squires and S. Marsden in litt. 2020). The species is thus considered rarer across some Southeast Asian sites (Collar et al. 2020).
Trend justification
The species may be subjected to some level of exploitation across parts of its range. Subspecies amoenus is for example only thought to survive in shaded, and well-protected areas of resorts in Bali, and although found in captivity, the species is thought to be in critical status (F. Rheindt in litt. 2020). In Singapore, the species had moreover undergone previous declines owed to poaching, habitat loss and competition with native species (Collar et al. 2020). However, although rarer at some sites, due to its commonality throughout most of its range, the overall population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any precipitous declines.
The species may be subjected to some level of exploitation and trapping for the cagebird trade. A 2018 survey of bird ownership involving over 3,000 households in all six of Java’s provinces for example estimated that 2,457,141 ± 423,249 individuals are currently kept in Java alone (Marshall et al. 2020). In Singapore, the species had previously declined due to poaching, habitat loss, and competition with other native species (Collar et al. 2020).
Text account compilers
Fernando, E.
Contributors
Butchart, S., Ekstrom, J., Khwaja, N., Marsden, S., Marshall, H., Rheindt, F. & Squires, T.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Oriental Magpie-robin Copsychus saularis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/oriental-magpie-robin-copsychus-saularis on 22/12/2024.
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 22/12/2024.