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

Justification of Red List category
This species is endemic to a small island and has a single small population which is in decline owing primarily to habitat loss. It therefore qualifies as Vulnerable.

Population justification
Riley (2003) estimated the population to number 2,350-9,560 individuals, thus here it is placed in the band for 2,500-9,999 mature individuals. This roughly equates to 3,750-14,999 individuals in total, rounded here to 3,500-15,000 individuals.

Trend justification
The species is suspected to be in decline owing to hunting and forest degradation. The likely rate of decline, however, has not been estimated.

Amaurornis magnirostris was only recently described, and is currently known only from Karakelang (=Karakelong) Island in the Talaud Archipelago, Indonesia, where it is sympatric with Rufous-tailed Waterhen A. moluccana (Lambert 1998). The population is estimated at 2,350-9,560 individuals (Riley 2003). It may also occur on neighbouring islands, in particular Salibabu (=Salebabu) and Kabaruang (Lambert 1998), but less than 20 km² of forest occurs on these two islands, much of it degraded (Riley 2003).

It is a forest species, but also occurs at lower densities in rank vegetation, scrub, and overgrown plantations up to 3 km from the forest edge (Lambert 1998, Riley 2003), and has been reported from wet swampy habitat (N. Dymond in litt. 2009).

Approximately 350 km² of primary forest remains on Karakelang, within two protected areas, but there has been no management and these areas are threatened by agricultural encroachment, illegal logging, and fire (Lambert 1998, Riley 2003). Rails are also trapped for food, but mainly outside forests (Riley 2003). Introduced rats, probably Ricefield Rat Rattus argentiventer, are present on Karakelang, and may also pose a threat (Lambert 1998, Riley 2003)

Conservation Actions Underway
Approximately 350 km² of primary forest remains on Karakelang, within two protected areas. Although 350 km² of primary forest has some form of protected status on Karakelang, 250 km² as a Wildlife Reserve, there is, at present, no management of these sites. Since 1995, the Action Sampiri project has been conducting fieldwork and conservation awareness programmes on the island. Introducing adequate protection measures to the newly gazetted Wildlife Reserve is the focus of a forthcoming four-year GEF project.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Survey neighbouring islands, in particular Salibabu (=Salebabu) and Kabaruang. Prevent illegal logging and hunting in the two protected areas within which this species occurs.

30.5 cm. A large, dark and robust bush-hen with a strikingly robust bill. Head dark brown; upperparts dark rich brown; underparts very dark grey, but flanks and thighs more like upperparts. Bill pale green, legs olive-brown, yellow at front. Similar spp differs from A. moluccana in its darker underparts which lack pale undertail-coverts, but is very similar to though slightly larger than the allopatric Plain Bush-hen A. olivacea. Large headed, with a broader bill than other species and a distinctly arched culmen.

Text account compilers
Bird, J., Butchart, S., Taylor, J., Martin, R

Contributors
Lambert, F., Dymond, N., Wardill, J., Riley, J.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Talaud Bush-hen Amaurornis magnirostris. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/talaud-bush-hen-amaurornis-magnirostris 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.