Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species is likely to have a small population composed of very small isolated subpopulations. Its population size is inferred to be declining as a result of ongoing forest loss within its range. For these reasons, the species is listed as Vulnerable.
Population justification
The population size is unknown, but the species does not appear to be common (T. Dornas in litt. 2021). During surveys of 2-4 km in dry forest close to watercourses, only one or two individuals were recorded (T. Dornas in litt. 2021).
The remaining habitat is fragmented, with little forest remaining away from limestone outcrops (T. Dornas in litt. 2021), and the species is not known to disperse over long distances, so there are likely to be multiple isolated subpopulations.
Based on remote sensing data of tree cover, it is estimated that approximately 14,400 - 22,000 km2 of tree cover with at least 50% canopy cover remained within the species's mapped range and within its altitudinal range in 2020 (Global Forest Watch 2021), with the minimum based on the extant range only and the maximum based on the extant and possibly extant range. Assuming that the above survey results may represent population densities of approximately 2.5-10 individuals per square kilometre, if all tree cover within the range was occupied, the total population might be within the range 36,000 - 220,000 individuals. However, all records of the species have been made within 100 m of a watercourse, which may represent less than 10% of the total area of tree cover within the range. Furthermore, the species may only occur near limestone caves and arches. Therefore, assuming that the area of tree cover is 10% occupied, the population size is here estimated to fall within the range 3,600 - 22,000 individuals, roughly equating to 2,400 - 15,000 mature individuals. Surveys are required to confirm the true population size.
Taking into account the small overall population size and the fragmentation of the species's habitat, the largest subpopulation is unlikely to have more than 1,000 mature individuals.
Trend justification
Remote sensing data on tree cover loss indicates that up approximately 12% of tree cover with at least 30% canopy cover was lost from suitable elevations within the species's extant and possibly extant range over ten years to 2020 (Global Forest Watch 2021). Projecting this data into the future, it is estimated that 13% of tree cover may be lost from this area over the next decade.
However, this species is restricted to forest on limestone outcrops or soils close to rivers, which may be less likely to be converted to agricultural land owing to their topography, and thus may be expected to have experienced a slower rate of tree cover loss. Furthermore, most tree cover at suitable elevations in this region has now been converted to pasture (T. Dornas in litt. 2021), so the rate of forest loss may be expected to decelerate. Remaining forest may be lost through the development of hydroelectic power plants and forest on limestone outcrops may be targeted for limestone mining, but these threats are not expected to cause rapid forest loss in the near future (T. Dornas in litt. 2021).
Overall, the species's population is suspected to have undergone reduction of 1-12% over the past ten years, and to undergo a reduction of 1-13% over the next ten years.
Campylopterus calcirupicola has a small range in eastern Brazil, from northern Minas Gerais, north to northeastern Goiás, southeast Tocantins and southwestern Bahia (Lopes et al. 2017, WikiAves 2021, T. Dornas in litt. 2021), and probably to southern Piauí (Santos 2001, Santos 2004, Lopes et al. 2017).
The species is restricted to deciduous dry forests on outcrops of limestone or on limestone soils at altitudes of between 460 and 880 m asl (Lopes et al. 2017). It is mainly recorded in primary forests and well-developed secondary growth, but has been recorded feeding in a garden adjacent to forest (Lopes et al. 2017). It appears to prefer riparian forests, with all records made within 100 m of a watercourse (T. Dornas in litt. 2021). It appears to have a high or medium sensitivity to disturbance and habitat alteration (T. Dornas in litt. 2021). It is known to visit flowers of both native and introduced species (Lopes et al. 2017). It nests in limestone caves or arches, close to watercourses, but it is not known whether nesting is restricted to caves and arches (Lopes et al. 2020).
The species is threatened by habitat loss and degradation. The main causes are conversion to cattle ranches, subsistence agriculture and large-scale crops (such as soy and rice), escaped agricultural fires, charcoal production, timber extraction, limestone mining and the development of hydroelectric power plants (Santos 2001, da Silva and Bates 2002). However, the topography of limestone outcrops may protect remaining forest from conversion to agriculture (Bianchi and Haig 2012), so deforestation is likely to have slowed, with limestone mining and the construction of hydroelectric power plants likely to present the greatest threats into the future (T. Dornas in litt. 2021).
Conservation Actions Underway
It occurs in Cavernas do Peruaçu National Park and Lapa Grande State Park (Lopes et al. 2017), and possibly the Serra da Tabatinga and Chapada das Mangabeiras Environmental Protection Areas (Santos 2001).
Text account compilers
Wheatley, H.
Contributors
Dornas, T.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Outcrop Sabrewing Campylopterus calcirupicola. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/outcrop-sabrewing-campylopterus-calcirupicola 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.