Current view: Data table and detailed info
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.
IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Red List history
| Migratory status |
not a migrant |
Forest dependency |
high |
| Land-mass type |
shelf island
|
Average mass |
- |
Population justification:
The global population size of this highly threatened species has not precisely been estimated. Former concern that the population size was very small (<250 mature individuals) was initially prompted by a collapse in the number appearing in trade markets throughout Java and the price being fetched for them (Collar and van Balen 2013, Eaton et al. 2015, Shepherd et al. 2016), but it was acknowledged in Collar and van Balen (2013) that this was not necessarily driving a collapse in wild populations. More recent survey effort indicates that this population size was overly precautionary. Because trapping pressure on this species is still nonetheless assumed to be high, the localities discussed are obscured.
The previous assessment of a very small population size was also partly made on the basis that recent records came from only two mountains which were precautionarily assumed to be the only mountains occupied. However, more recent data indicate that it still occurs on at least nine (Marsden et al. 2023, eBird 2023). In a survey of 295 transects across 12 mountains in west Java, the species was found on 39 and 6 respectively, with an encounter rate that was not alarmingly lower than other species of a similar size/guild (Marsden et al. 2023). Notable however is the very low encounter rate (0.43 ± SE 0.08 groups/h) of subspecies G. r. slamatensis, which probably remains on the verge of extinction. On another mountain (not one surveyed by Marsden et al. 2023), several independent groups were recorded in October 2023—totally at least 25-40 birds—on a single line transect up it in 24 hours; these birds were found in the most accessible parts of the mountain, suggesting the species probably occurs at similar densities (at least) around all slopes, and the mountain supports a total population in the low hundreds (A. Berryman pers. obs.). Even accepting, most pessimistically, that this population is unrepresentatively robust to trapping pressure, in combination with the observations and encounter rates recorded by Marsden et al. (2023), it is likely that the global population of this species numbers in the (probably low) thousands given the recent span of records. Additional evidence for a larger-than-anticipated population size also comes from Nijman et al. (2020), who estimated approximately 90 Rufous-fronted Laughingthrushes were being sold in physical trade markets each year in Java. An additional, unknown number are sold online (although none were detected online by Okarda et al. (2022). If the population size were as small as 250 mature individuals, a number this high being traded annually would cause a rapid collapse in population that would already be apparent—there is no evidence this has taken place.
Nonetheless, it is evident that the species does remain scarce in places (no doubt due to locally high trapping pressure) and that the population density between mountains is likely highly variable. Given the abundance and distribution of birds observed up to the end of 2023, and the trade data reviewed by Nijman et al. (2020), it is considered highly unlikely that the number of birds numbers as few as 500 mature individuals; this is, nonetheless, set as the plausible minimum bound, and assumes that most occupied mountains now support fewer than <50 mature individuals, but 1-2 others support 100-200. Alternatively, smaller mountains/those with higher trapping pressure may host populations of <100 mature individuals, while 3-5 may host 200-400, suggesting a maximum global population of 2,500 mature individuals. Accordingly, the global population size of this species is estimated to be 500-2,500 mature individuals, with the largest subpopulation hosting 100-400.
Trend justification: Precautionarily inferred to be undergoing a continuing decline, although the evidence base for this assumption is rather weak. Collar and van Balen (2013) and Eaton et al. (2015) made a compelling case for rapid declines in population, based principally on trade/market data, but also because surveys in parts of its range had failed to detect the species (but from where it was recorded historically and was therefore expected). More recent surveys, however, detected it at several sites (Marsden et al. 2023, eBird 2023) and in the absence of robust monitoring data with clear time series, it is difficult to calculate ongoing rates of decline. Nonetheless, because trapping pressure has evidently caused declines historically (Eaton et al. 2015) and the species continues to be observed in markets with regularity (Nijman et al. 2020), including recently (October 2023: J. Beilby in litt. 2023) in numbers that exceed numbers in previous market surveys, a continuing decline is inferred. Rates of decline over the past three generations (12 years: 2011-2023) and future three generations (12 years: 2023-2035) are not estimated due to considerable uncertainty.
Country/territory distribution
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush Garrulax rufifrons. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/rufous-fronted-laughingthrush-garrulax-rufifrons 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.
