Current view: Data table and detailed info
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions 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 |
|
Average mass |
- |
Population justification: The population size of this species is entirely unknown and even qualitative descriptions of its abundance are difficult to make. It was collected in Lore Lindu National Park in 1917 (Riley 1921) and there have been sporadic sightings here since (Mole and Wangko 2006, eBird 2022). Gerd Heinrich collected six specimens from the Mekongga Mountains in 1930-31 (White and Bruce 1986), but a recent search of this mountain range failed to find it (Berryman and Eaton 2020). It has also been collected in Minahasa, and here the species was recently photographed on a camera trap (Patandung et al. 2019).
Evaluating these observations, the species is reasonably assumed to be quite widespread across montane Sulawesi and the habitat used by the bird observed by Patandung et al. (2019) illustrates why the species is likely to have extremely low detectability, especially with the call and display being wholly unknown. With c.35,000 km2 of montane forest within its elevational range (per Global Forest Watch 2022, based on data from Hansen et al. [2013] and methods disclosed therein), the population is unlikely to be small.
Trend justification: The population is suspected to be declining due to a number of possible threats. Although forest loss was previously thought to be impacting the species (see BirdLife International 2001), recent remote sensing data (Global Forest Watch 2022, based on data from Hansen et al. [2013] and methods disclosed therein) indicate that this has been minimal, equivalent to <0.5% in the three generations (13.1 years; Bird et al. 2020) to 2022. However, it may still be having a local impact. Patandung et al. (2019) noted that the Duasudara Nature Reserve block, whence they recorded the species, had been significantly impacted by fire in 1998 and 2015 and the species' apparent predilection for dense closed-canopy forest suggests it is likely to be impacted by even minor habitat alterations. Similarly, Patandung et al. also consider hunting (with snares) a risk, as well as feral domestic cats which were common at their study site and also mentioned by BirdLife International (2001; see account for Geomalia Zoothera heinrichi). All of these threats, however, are unlikely to be affecting more than a small fraction of the species' range. Consequently, although the rate of population decline is not quantified here, it is suspected to be slow.
Country/territory distribution
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Sulawesi Woodcock Scolopax celebensis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/sulawesi-woodcock-scolopax-celebensis 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.