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

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.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	-

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2023	Near Threatened	B1b(iii)
2016	Vulnerable	D2
2012	Vulnerable	D2
2008	Vulnerable	D2
2007	Vulnerable
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type	continent	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	8,600 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	20000-49999 mature individuals	poor	suspected	2023
Population trend	decreasing	poor	suspected	2016-2026
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-9%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-9%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-9%	-	-	-
Generation length	2.17 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	1-2	-	-	-

Population justification: The population size of this species has not been quantified. It was previously assumed to be very small owing to its occurrence at just one locality, however more recent efforts indicate that it is relatively widespread along the Mishmi Road (eBird 2023) and in adjacent forest. Within its undoubtedly limited range, it occurs at a relatively high density, with King and Donahue (2006) describing the species as 'common' on south-facing slopes, encountering eight birds in half a day along a 3-km stretch of road in response to playback. On current knowledge of its distribution, there is c.2,000 km² of suitable habitat (based on a crude GIS exercise), although some of this lies on north-facing slopes where the species is apparently much scarcer (King and Donahue 2006). If birds were detectable using playback to a distance of c.50 m (an arbitrary value), the population density of birds on south-facing slopes would be c.25 singing males/km², or 50 mature individuals/km², suggesting the population size likely numbers in the tens of thousands. Somewhat precautionarily therefore, the population size is suspected to number 20,000-49,999, although this figure is surrounded by much uncertainty.

Trend justification: The principal threat to this forest-dependent species is the clearance and degradation of forest for agricultural expansion. However this is occurring on only a minor scale, since although none of its range lies within protected areas (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2022), the remoteness and ruggedness of its habitat renders commercial logging activity impossible. In the ten years to 2022, forest cover loss in the species' range amounted to <2%, at least some of which was attributable to natural landslides (Global Forest Watch 2022, based on Hansen et al. [2013] and methods disclosed therein). Nonetheless, localised satellite data (Google Earth 2022) indicate that there has been some clearance at sites that probably host the species, principally for the construction of new roads (and landslides associated with them) as well as the expansion of local villages. Consequently, the species is suspected to be declining at a very slow rate, set here to 1-9% over ten years.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
China (mainland)	extant	native	yes
India	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
India	Dichu Reserve Forest
India	Nacho - Limeking - Taksing - Majha
India	Pakhui or Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Temperate	major	resident
Altitude	1800 - 2550 m	Occasional altitudinal limits	(min) 1600 m

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Transportation & service corridors	Roads & railroads	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Rusty-throated Wren-babbler Spelaeornis badeigularis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/rusty-throated-wren-babbler-spelaeornis-badeigularis 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.