Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (extent of occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size may be moderately small to large, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
No data on population size, however the species is generally regarded as common, and a five-figure population is suspected based on wide distribution (Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001).
Trend justification
The population is suspected to be increasing locally as ongoing cutting of rain forest in West Africa is creating new areas of suitable habitat (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001). Between 1969-1973 and 2000-2004 the species was reported to have declined outside protected areas in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger but numbers were stable or increasing within protected areas (Thiollay 2007). The trend outside protected areas was stable in Cameroon. The species has reportedly become much less common on fetish markets in West Africa, which may indicate a decline in some areas (Nikolaus 2011). Overall, the population is suspected to be stable.
Woodland degradation poses a threat, however the species is able to use many secondary habitats (Thiollay 2000). The species is potentially vulnerable to hunting, however the significance of this threat is not yet known (Whytock and Morgan 2010). It has been recorded in traditional medicine and bushmeat markets in 8 West African countries (Williams et al. 2013; Petrozzi 2018). Within the Sahel zone, overhunting of prey species, degradation of woodland habitat and overgrazing are potential threats (Thiollay 2007).
Conservation actions underway
The species is listed on CITES Appendix II, CMS Appendix II and Raptors MoU Category 3.
Text account compilers
Haskell, L.
Contributors
Harding, M., Ashpole, J, Butchart, S. & Ekstrom, J.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Red-necked Buzzard Buteo auguralis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/red-necked-buzzard-buteo-auguralis on 26/12/2024.
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 26/12/2024.