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

Justification of Red List category
This species has a large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence under 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). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (under 10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be over 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (over 30% decline over ten years or three generations). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as fairly common on most islands in its range, although rare on Aneityum, and recent observations on Santo found it to be very common in all habitats and at all altitudinal levels. This species is considered to have a medium dependency on forest habitat, and tree cover is estimated to have declined by 1.2% within its mapped range over the past three generations (Global Forest Watch 2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it is tentatively suspected that this loss of cover may have led to a decline of between 1-19% in the species' population size over the same time frame.

Trend justification
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Ptilinopus tannensis is endemic to Vanuatu where it occurs on most islands. In Loru Protected Area on Espirito Santo, its population density was estimated to be 14 birds per km² (Bowen 1997), and it was recently found to be very common in all habitats and at all altitudinal levels (Barré et al. 2006), but it may be less common elsewhere, especially in the southern islands (G. Dutson pers. obs. 1998).

It inhabits old-growth rainforest, and also degraded habitats with large fruiting trees, including open woodland, parkland, plantations and gardens. It is most common in the lowlands and hills, but is also present in mountains to at least 1500 m (G. Dutson in litt.2008).

All lowland forests in Vanuatu are threatened by commercial logging and the species is therefore suspected to be slowly declining owing to a loss of large fruiting trees (G. Dutson in litt.2008). It has been suggested that overhunting is a threat but there is currently no evidence to support this (G. Dutson in litt.2008).

Conservation Actions Underway
None is known.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Effectively protect lowland rainforest. Conduct social surveys to determine the extent of hunting, and consider measures to reduce hunting pressure.

Text account compilers
Rutherford, C.A.

Contributors
Dutson, G. & Barré, N.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Tanna Fruit-dove Ptilinopus tannensis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/tanna-fruit-dove-ptilinopus-tannensis 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.