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

Justification of Red List category
This species is listed as Near Threatened because forest cover has declined steadily to the point that the area of available suitable habitat within its range is now moderately small and fragmented. Ongoing declines are suspected as, despite a moratorium imposed on clearing forest within Sri Lanka's wet zone, habitat loss continues.

Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as fairly common to common (del Hoyo et al. 2005).

Trend justification
The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation (del Hoyo et al. 2005).

Geokichla spiloptera is an endemic resident in southern Sri Lanka. It occurs mainly in the wet zone of the island and although its range is highly restricted it is locally common within it.

It favours lowlands and hills of the wet zone from 300-1,220 m. It is more spottily distributed at higher elevations (such as Adam's Peak and Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve; Goodale et al. 2014). It inhabits the leaf-litter of damp, dense, wooded areas and occasionally forest edges (such as roads near or through forests; E. Goodale in litt. 2020), gardens near forest, also occurring sporadically in the dry zone of Sri Lanka, although there are no recent records from this part of the island. It is apparently most abundant in primary habitat, and although also recorded in selectively logged forest, forest edges or near tea cultivation and scrub, it may be dependent on relatively intact forest remaining nearby. It is easily observed in the early morning, when it will be often found on roads that are infrequently traveled (E. Goodale in litt. 2020). It forages for terrestrial invertebrates, spending c.90% of time on the ground during the day, but will also sally for insects in the air. It breeds in March-May and July-January.

Forest on the island has suffered rapid degradation and fragmentation in past decades through excessive gathering of fuelwood, clearance for permanent agriculture, shifting cultivation, fire, urbanisation and logging. Closed-canopy forest is estimated to have declined from 29,000 km² (44% of the island's area) in 1956 to 12,260 km² in 1983. It is feared that this loss will continue and the status of this species therefore requires monitoring.

Conservation Actions Underway
A moratorium was passed in 1990 to protect wet zone forests from logging, but encroachment continues. It occurs in several national parks and forest reserves. A survey of the biodiversity of 200 forest sites was carried out from 1991-1996. Previously, projects have aimed to provide education to local communities around forested areas, including Buddhist monks that live in monasteries situated close to many nesting areas (Weerakoon and Kumara 2000).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Protect areas of lowland forest within the species's range. Enforce restrictions on logging and agricultural encroachment within wet zone forests. Generate density estimates to inform a revised population estimate for the species.

Text account compilers
Fernando, E.

Contributors
Benstead, P., Bird, J., Goodale, E. & Khwaja, N.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Spot-winged Thrush Geokichla spiloptera. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/spot-winged-thrush-geokichla-spiloptera 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.