Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range and given the extent of remaining suitable habitat is assumed to also have a large population size, although this has not been quantified. However it is highly sensitive to the loss, fragmentation and degradation of its forest habitat. With a low rate of forest cover loss recorded within the range over the past three generations it is suspected that the population is declining at a moderate rate, but the rate is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach threatened thresholds. The species is evaluated as Least Concern, but rates of habitat loss require ongoing monitoring and remaining large areas of intact forest must be retained.
Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but it was described as uncommon to fairly common in eastern Colombia and south-east Peru, fairly common to common in Brazil but rare and local in Ecuador (del Hoyo et al. 2017), albeit inconspicuous and hard to detect (Stotz et al. 1996, Greeney et al. 2023). Given its extremely large range , there is no reason to suspect that the population size is particularly small. Estimated density in floodplain forest in southeast Peru was four mature individuals (two pairs) per square kilometre (Terborgh et al. 1990).
Trend justification
The overall population trend has not been investigated. A study in Amazonian Brazil however found that the species had disappeared from previously occupied areas with ongoing habitat loss; it did not persist in fragments smaller than 1 ha (Stouffer et al. 2009). Given that forest loss is ongoing in large parts of the range (Global Forest Watch 2023), a continuing population decline is inferred.
Within the range, 4-6% of tree cover is lost over three generations (10.6 years; Global Forest Watch 2023, using data from Hansen et al. [2013] and methods disclosed therein). This value does however not account for the impacts of habitat degradation. The species is described as particularly sensitive to habitat disturbance; it prefers the interior of continuous forests and cannot persist in small fragments (Greeney et al. 2023 and references therein). The rate of population decline may therefore greatly exceed the rate of tree cover loss. It is here tentatively placed in the band 10-19% over three generations.
Deconychura pallida occurs in Amazonia, from east Colombia and south Venezuela east to Maranhão, Brazil, and through east Ecuador and Peru to central Bolivia. Within this very large range it is reliant on intact forest and ongoing forest loss and degradation are estimated to be causing a continuing decline in the extent, area and quality of habitat, and inferred to be causing continuing declines in both the extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, with local extinctions recorded from the periphery of the range (Stouffer et al. 2009).
This is a species of humid forest, most often found in "terra firme" forest (with no flooding), but also in "igapó" (permanently flooded forest). It occurs in both lowlands and foothills, generally below 500 m in Amazonia, but up to 1,700 m in the Andean foothills (del Hoyo et al. 2003). It usually inhabits the interior of continuous forests and is only occasionally found at edges and in mature second growth; it is described as highly sensitive to disturbance and fragmentation (Greeney et al. 2023).
The primary threat to this species is accelerating deforestation in the Amazon Basin as land is cleared for cattle ranching and soy production, facilitated by expansion of the road network (Soares-Filho et al. 2006, Bird et al. 2011). It is particularly susceptible to habitat modification and fragmentation, and is naturally rare in spite of its extensive distribution (del Hoyo et al. 2003, A. Lees in litt. 2011). In large parts of the range vast areas of pristine habitat remain (see Global Forest Watch 2023), and the species is likely safe there.
Conservation Actions Underway
It occurs in several protected areas across its range.
Conservation Actions Proposed
Quantify the population size. Monitor the population trend. Expand the protected area network to effectively protect key sites. Effectively manage protected areas, utilising emerging opportunities to finance protected area management with the joint aims of reducing carbon emissions and maximizing biodiversity conservation. Incentivise conservation on private lands through expanding market pressures for sound land management and preventing forest clearance on lands unsuitable for agriculture (Soares-Filho et al. 2006).
17-22 cm. Medium-sized, brown woodcreeper. Has relatively long wings, tail and neck. Buff flecks on its large head give scruffy appearance. Bill is slim, straight and of medium length.
Text account compilers
Martin, R., Hermes, C.
Contributors
Butchart, S., Ekstrom, J., Khwaja, N., Lees, A., Symes, A., Wheatley, H. & Sánchez-Nivicela, M.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Southern Long-tailed Woodcreeper Deconychura pallida. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/southern-long-tailed-woodcreeper-deconychura-pallida on 24/11/2024.
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 24/11/2024.