EN
Red Goshawk Erythrotriorchis radiatus



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- C2a(ii) C2a(i,ii); D1

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2022 Endangered C2a(ii)
2016 Near Threatened C2a(i);D1
2012 Near Threatened C2a(i);D1
2008 Vulnerable D1
2006 Vulnerable
2004 Vulnerable
2000 Vulnerable
1996 Endangered
1994 Endangered
1988 Threatened
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency medium
Land-mass type Australia
Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 1,600,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 900-1400,1340 mature individuals poor estimated 2020
Population trend decreasing medium inferred -
Generation length 7.6 years - - -
Number of subpopulations 1 - - -
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation 100% - - -

Population justification:

This species' extreme scarcity and low density make its population size difficult to determine, reflected in a range of population estimates (using different methodologies) over the past 30 years; all, however, have suggested there are many fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. The most recent estimate, made in 2012 (DERM 2012) suggested that the population size was 700 pairs, including 100 pairs on the Tiwi islands. This was derived from data on recorded distances between breeding pairs’ nests that suggested a density of one breeding pair per 10 km of creek or river in core areas, and half that density elsewhere. These figures are higher than those used by Aumann and Baker-Gabb (1991), who suspected densities less than half those adopted by DERM (2012), and a global population size of c.350 pairs (700 mature individuals). The population size adopted here follows MacColl et al. (2021), who estimated using these previous density estimates and more contemporary data on distribution that there are between 900 and 1,400 mature individuals.

Trend justification: There is some regional variation, but overall the population is inferred to be experiencing an ongoing decline, although the rate of this remains unquantified. The 10–30 pairs estimated in the South Eastern Queensland bioregion in 2012 (see DERM 2012) appear no longer to be present (Seaton 2014), apparently going extinct sometime before 2010, while the species gradually declined to extinction in New South Wales over the 1980s and 1990s (Cooper et al. 2014). On the Tiwi Islands, nest success monitored annually has not changed significantly since 2001 (2001–2010: 50 nests, 0.56 ± 0.35 (0–1.33) fledglings/nest; 2011–2019: 100 nests, 0.69 ± 0.40 (0.4–1.6); S. Ryan unpublished, in MacColl et al. 2021) with most of the difference between years being explained by complete nest failure caused by a cyclone in 2005 and increases in monitoring effort. Records south of Cape York Peninsula over the past decade are increasingly scant, although some places where recorded historically (e.g. Shoalwater Bay) have not been surveyed recently. An ongoing decline is therefore inferred, with habitat degradation and loss (the principal cause of losses over the past three generations) an ongoing threat.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Australia extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Australia Kakadu Savanna
Australia Lilyvale
Australia Mornington Sanctuary
Australia Tiwi Islands

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland suitable resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Swamp suitable resident
Forest Temperate major resident
Savanna Dry suitable resident
Altitude 0 - 1000 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture Livestock farming & ranching - Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture Wood & pulp plantations - Scale Unknown/Unrecorded Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Persecution/control Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Causing/Could cause fluctuations Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species mortality
Natural system modifications Fire & fire suppression - Trend Unknown/Unrecorded Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success
Pollution Agricultural & forestry effluents - Herbicides and pesticides Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Unknown Unknown
Stresses
Species mortality

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Sport hunting/specimen collecting subsistence, national

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Red Goshawk Erythrotriorchis radiatus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/red-goshawk-erythrotriorchis-radiatus on 23/11/2024.
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 23/11/2024.