• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Justification of Red List category
This species is listed as Endangered because is is predicted to undergo very rapid future declines as a result of range contraction due to climate change.

Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as occurring at high densities in suitable habitat (del Hoyo et al. 2007).

Trend justification
This species has a high forest dependency, and the population is therefore inferred to be in decline owing to on-going habitat clearance and degradation caused by the expansion of shifting agriculture (del Hoyo et al. 2007). It is predicted to experience a large range contraction by 2080 due to climate change, at a rate of 50-60% over the next three generations (Ayebare et al. 2018).

Kupeornis rufocinctus occurs in the Albertine Rift mountains in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (del Hoyo et al. 2007) where it is known to occur in the Itombwe Mountains, Mt Kabobo, Nyungwe Forest, and Mt Heha/Ijenda and Teza Forests (Stattersfield et al. 1998). This is a species with a restricted range and, although it can be locally very common, it is known from only a few sites.

It is a species of montane forest and bamboo at altitudes of 1,500-3,200 m. Gregarious, it is found in groups of 3-15 individuals which forage together on the trunks and branches of trees, taking insects and occasionally small fruits (Dowsett-Lemaire 1990; del Hoyo et al. 2007). The species appears to prefer very moist areas where trees are covered in mossy epiphytes; in such favourable habitat it can occur at high density, with each group having a home range of 20-25 ha. However, it is rare or absent from drier areas (Dowsett-Lemaire 1990). It feeds on insects and occasionally small fruits. Nest-building takes place in April and May, and dependent young have been observed between June and August in Rwanda (del Hoyo et al. 2007).

This species is threatened by habitat clearance for shifting agriculture (Stattersfield et al. 1998). It is also predicted to undergo a large range contraction as a result of climate change (Ayebare et al. 2018).

Conservation Actions Underway
No targeted conservation actions are known for this species, although some of its habitat is protected.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Carry out surveys to obtain a total population estimate. Monitor population trends through regular surveys. Monitor rates of habitat loss and degradation across its range. Protect suitable habitat for the species.

Text account compilers
Clark, J.

Contributors
Dowsett, R.J., Dowsett-Lemaire, F., O'Brien, A., Robertson, P., Taylor, J. & Westrip, J.R.S.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Red-collared Mountain-babbler Kupeornis rufocinctus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/red-collared-mountain-babbler-kupeornis-rufocinctus 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.