• 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., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	-

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2024	Near Threatened	C2a(i)
2016	Vulnerable	A2c+3c+4c;B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v);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	Not Recognised

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

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	90,100 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	2500-9999 mature individuals	poor	estimated	2023
Population trend	decreasing	poor	inferred	2018-2028
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-9%	-	-	-
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	2.88 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	3-10	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: The population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as scarce, apparently naturally occurring at low densities (Ridgely and Tudor 1994, Ridgely et al. 1998, J. Hornbuckle in litt. 1999; E. Horstmann in litt. 2000, 2007; see also eBird 2024). Using a density (based on occupancy of territorial pairs) of 0.8 mature individuals per km² M. Sánchez Nivicela (in litt. 2024) derived an indicative population size of 3,641 mature individuals. The closely related Amazonian Royal Flycatcher O. coronatus was found to occur at a density of 0.5 pairs/km² in Peru, equivalent to 1 mature individual/km² (Sample et al. 2020). Acknowledging uncertainty in this value, the population size is placed in a band of 2,500-10,000 mature individuals.
Past, very rapid forest loss has resulted in considerable fragmentation of the remaining habitat, however there are at least two considerable portions of the range that are connected and while dispersal is not well-known it is suspected to be able to successfully disperse within a forested matrix. Accounting for the spatial distribution of the habitat modelled by M. Sánchez Nivicela (in litt. 2024) the largest subpopulation is likely to exceed one-third of the population size given, and therefore exceed 1,000 mature individuals (sRedList 2023).

Trend justification: This species' population is inferred to be declining, in line with habitat loss within its range and as a result of the fragmentation of remaining habitat patches (Ridgely and Greenfield 2001, eBird 2024). Up until the 1980s, deforestation in western Ecuador proceeded rapidly at a rate of 57% per decade (Dodson and Gentry 1991), so that now mostly small fragments remain (see Global Forest Watch 2023). Forest loss has however since slowed down; currently tree cover is lost at a rate of 2% over ten years (Global Forest Watch 2023, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). There are no recent records from Juaneche Biological Research station, Bosque Protector Pedro Franco Dávila, where the species was regularly observed in the 1990s (Best and Kessler 1995, eBird 2024). While coverage at this site is lower in recent years, visits have taken place (e.g. Jansen and Jansen 2023) and it seems the species may have been lost from the site. Even considering the species' dependence on deciduous forests, and accounting for additional impacts of habitat degradation and fragmentation, population declines are likely slow. They are here tentatively placed in the band 1-9% over ten years.

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

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Ecuador	Abras de Mantequilla
Ecuador	Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco
Ecuador	Bosque Protector Molleturo Mullopungo
Ecuador	Bosque Protector Puyango
Ecuador	Centro Científico Río Palenque
Ecuador	Estación Científica Pedro Franco Dávila
Ecuador	Hacienda Camarones
Ecuador	Parque Nacional Machalilla y alrededores
Ecuador	Reserva Biológica Tito Santos
Ecuador	Reserva Buenaventura
Ecuador	Reserva Ecológica Arenillas
Ecuador	Reserva Ecológica Comunal Loma Alta
Peru	Parque Nacional Cerros de Amotape

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	major	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)	suitable	resident
Altitude	0 - 970 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
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 conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Pacific Royal Flycatcher Onychorhynchus occidentalis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/pacific-royal-flycatcher-onychorhynchus-occidentalis 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.