Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This poorly-known species is known from only seven sites in five widely spaced mountain areas on New Guinea and although it appears to occur at very low population densities, it is secretive, seldom reported and likely to be overlooked unless singing. Given the habitat within the elevational range of the species is near intact it is most likely that it occurs at least patchily throughout the possible range, suggesting the population is unlikely to be sufficiently small as to be threatened with imminent extinction. Little deforestation has occurred within its habitat. As the species does not appear to have any significant threats at present and is likely to have a stable population that is not very small, and is not highly restricted, the species is not considered to be threatened with extinction and is assessed as Least Concern, despite being a very difficult species to observe.
Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified. The species is described as rare, and apparently occurs at low densities. However, it is also unobtrusive and very difficult to detect unless singing: in largely undisturbed forest at 1,890 m it was judged uncommon, with 3-5 sightings during a rapid biodiversity assessment (Mack and Alonso 2000). It appears likely that the species does occur throughout the central mountains of Papua and Papua New Guinea, but at low density and only within a restricted elevational band. This still represents a large potential area of suitable habitat that is currently mostly secure from deforestation, hence the population is unlikely to be small.
Trend justification
The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.
Androphobus viridis is a poorly-known species known from only seven sites on New Guinea (Papua, formerly Irian Jaya, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea). It was collected at, but there have been no recent records from, Mt Goliath, the Lake Habbema/Ibele River region and the Weyland Mountains (all in the Snow Mountains) (Beehler and Pratt 2016). There are a series of recent sightings at Ambua, near Tari (Eastwood and Gregory 1995; P. Gregory in litt. 1999, 2010, eBird 2021), it was reported from 1,890 m in the headwaters of the Wapoga river drainage in Papua (Mack and Alonso 2000) and a distinctive and unknown song recorded in the Star Mountains in 1992 may have been this species (K. D. Bishop in litt. 1994). As the Snow Mountains and the intervening range is little visited, it may occur more widely. Although it appears to occur at low population densities, it is secretive and likely to be overlooked unless singing (Mack and Alonso 2000).
Records are from montane forest at 1,400-2,800 m, though most are above 1,800 m. It is found in thick undergrowth (Beehler and Pratt 2016) and feeds on invertebrates (Pratt and Beehler 2015).
The montane forest from which it is known is unlikely to be threatened by industrial logging. Many areas are occupied by the species including steep mountainsides (B. Beehler in litt. 2010), will be inaccessible to loggers. This is supported by satellite data indicated there has been little forest loss: an estimated 1.8% decrease in forest cover within the possible extent of the species's range between 2001 and 2019 (Global Forest Watch 2021), equivalent to a 1% decrease over three generations. There are no other known threats.
Conservation Actions Underway
None is known.
Text account compilers
Hermes, C., Fernando, E., Martin, R.
Contributors
Beehler, B.M., Bishop, K.D., Dutson, G., Gregory, P. & Shutes, S.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Papuan Whipbird Androphobus viridis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/papuan-whipbird-androphobus-viridis 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.