NT
Tagula White-eye Zosterops meeki



Taxonomy

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.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2020 Near Threatened A3c+4c; B1b(iii)+2b(iii); C2a(ii)
2016 Data Deficient
2012 Data Deficient
2008 Data Deficient
2004 Data Deficient
2000 Data Deficient
1996 Data Deficient
1994 Data Deficient
1988 Threatened
Species attributes

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

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 1,100 km2 medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident) 400 km2
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 3700 - 25000, 5000 mature individuals poor inferred 2016
Population trend decreasing - suspected 2019-2029
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 1-5% - - -
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 1-29% - - -
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 1-29% - - -
Generation length 2.44 years - - -
Number of subpopulations 1 - - -
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation 100% - - -

Population justification: The species is seldom seen and is apparently uncommon (Pratt and Beehler 2015, Beehler and Pratt 2016). Six to ten individuals were seen in a 6.13 km walk through forest at 120-300 m (W. Goulding in litt. 2016). Assuming that this species could be detected up to about 20-25 m either side, this might equate to very approximately 20-46 individuals per km2 (W. Goulding in litt. 2020). The area of the the island is approximately 813 km2, but although there have been records from sea level (Mitchell 2017), the species has been mostly recorded in forest above an elevation of 120 m (W. Goulding in litt. 2020), which may give an area of habitat of 279 km(W. Goulding in litt. 2016). Based on an area of 279 - 813 km2 and the population densities above, the population size is estimated to be between 5,580 - 37,398 individuals, which roughly equates to 3,720 - 24,932 mature individuals, here rounded to 3,700 - 25,000. Since there have been few records below 120 m and the area of habitat is estimated to cover only around a third of the area of the island (W. Goulding in litt. 2016), the true value is likely to fall towards the lower end of this range, and is suspected to be around 5,000 (W. Goulding in litt. 2020).

The species has a small range on a single island and there is no indication that there is more than one subpopulation.

Trend justification: There is no population data from which to directly estimate trends. From 2009-2019, approximately 2% of forest with at least 50% canopy cover was lost across Tagula, but the rate of forest loss was lower at higher elevations (Global Forest Watch 2020), so the impact of forest loss on the species's population is expected to have been lower than this. The population size is tentatively suspected to be declining slowly. Over the past ten years, the population size is suspected to have undergone a small reduction of 1-5%.

In 2019, there were plans for commercial logging between Reuwo on the south coast and Rambuso Creek on the north coast (W. Goulding in litt. 2020). Should it go ahead, this could impact up to approximately a third of the species's habitat, but it is unlikely that the species would be completely eliminated from the area of logging. The impacts would be likely to begin within several years, with the full impact occurring ten or more years later (G. Dutson in litt. 2020). Over the next ten years, the population is suspected to undergo a reduction of 1-29%.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Papua New Guinea extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest marginal resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level marginal resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland major resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane major resident
Altitude 120 - 801 m Occasional altitudinal limits (min) 0 m

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather Storms & flooding Timing Scope Severity Impact
Past, Likely to Return Whole (>90%) Slow, Significant Declines Past Impact
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation
Energy production & mining Mining & quarrying Timing Scope Severity Impact
Future Minority (<50%) Unknown Unknown
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Transportation & service corridors Roads & railroads Timing Scope Severity Impact
Future Minority (<50%) Rapid Declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Tagula White-eye Zosterops meeki. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/tagula-white-eye-zosterops-meeki on 24/12/2024.
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 24/12/2024.