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

Justification of Red List category
This species is very poorly known, but is not believed to be threatened. Although known from only a handful of sites, these encompass a large area of suitable habitat which it is believed to inhabit, thus 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). Despite the fact that the population trend is precautionarily suspected to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over three generations). The population size is unknown, but is not suspected to be sufficiently small 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
The global population size has not been quantified. The species is described as possibly fairly common, although little known (Cleere 1998), and eBird (2022) data suggest it is regularly seen, although in many instances this may refer to the same individuals. Similarly, Verbelen (2014) suggested it may be locally common. Conversely, Pratt and Beehler (2015) and Gregory (2017) described it as rare. Even if the species were to prove range-restricted or patchily distributed, the geographic spread of sites from which it is already known suggest that there is a large amount of suitable habitat in its range (G. Dutson pers. comm. 2023). Consequently the population size is unlikely to be especially small.

Trend justification
The population trend of this species has not been accurately evaluated. The only likely threat to it is habitat loss which is ongoing in New Guinea's lowlands, albeit at currently a slow rate (per Global Forest Watch 2022). The forest around Kiunga, where most observations are made, is intact with few signs of degradation; however, in neighbouring Indonesia, forest between the Fly and Digul rivers shows localised signs of novel logging tracks and ongoing degradation (Google Earth 2022). As a highly forest-dependent species (Beehler and Pratt 2016), this is likely to be having a negative impact on the species, although it is unlikely to be causing rapid declines (even acknowledging that the limits of the species' range are improperly known).

Aegotheles tatei of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and Indonesia) is known from an increasing series of records across the southern watershed. Two specimens were taken in 1936 from Palmer Junction close to the Indonesian border and one in 1969 from Nunumai in the far south-east. One was sighted in 1962 at Brown River west of Nunumai (Pratt 2000, T. K. Pratt in litt. 2000). There are a series of recent records at a number of sites close to Kiunga in the Western Province (Verbelen 2014, eBird 2022). In 2014, it was found in Indonesian New Guinea, with observations suggesting it may be common along Kali Muyu river (Verbelen 2014); it has since been found at other sites in the watershed (G. Dutson pers. comm. 2023). It was absent from surveyed open swamp forests, Tanah Merah city, and lowland hill forests and around the villages of Mindiptana and Waropko (Verbelen 2014).

All records are from lowland riverine rainforest at 10-125 m, usually close to hills, but it is likely to occur in a wider range of habitats and elevations (Beehler and Pratt 2016). In Papua New Guinea, it has been recorded in forest that had been logged 10 years previously (I. Woxvold pers. comm. 2016 per G. Dutson in litt. 2016). In Indonesian New Guinea, it was found in old-growth and logged rainforest but absent from open swamp forests and lowland hill forests and around the villages of Mindiptana and Waropko (Verbelen 2014). 

Lowland riverine rainforest continues to be logged and cleared in New Guinea, but only (currently) at a slow rate and large areas still remain intact.

Conservation Actions Underway
None is known.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Use playback to survey potentially suitable lowland riverine forest elsewhere in its plausible range. Protected forested areas of New Guinea's lowlands.

Text account compilers
Berryman, A.

Contributors
Benstead, P., Bishop, K.D., Derhé, M., Dutson, G., Harding, M., North, A., Pratt, T., Symes, A., Westrip, J.R.S., Wheatley, H. & Woxvold, I.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Starry Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles tatei. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/starry-owlet-nightjar-aegotheles-tatei on 23/11/2024.
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 23/11/2024.