EN
Timor Green-pigeon Treron psittaceus



Taxonomy

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
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- C2a(ii) C2a(i,ii); D1

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2021 Endangered C2a(ii)
2016 Endangered C2a(ii)
2012 Endangered C2a(ii)
2008 Endangered C2a(ii)
2004 Endangered
2000 Endangered
1996 Vulnerable
1994 Vulnerable
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) 35,100 km2 medium
Number of locations 11-100 -
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 660-2000 mature individuals poor estimated 2007
Population trend decreasing poor inferred 2010-2023
Generation length 4.5 years - - -
Number of subpopulations 1 - - -
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation 100% - - -

Population justification: The species occurs very patchily and is absent from areas of apparently suitable habitat. Its global population is precautionarily estimated to lie within the band 1,000-3,000 individuals based on a compilation of previous counts and expert opinion of likely numbers in all occupied sites (C. Trainor in litt. 2012), roughly equivalent to 660-2,000 mature individuals. The largest numbers occur in eastern Timor-Leste, where the total in Nino Konis Santana National Park is estimated to be in the low hundreds, although encounter rates were slightly lower during visits in 2019 (10 records of 1-25 birds) than in 2003-2004 (C. Trainor and J. P. Lopez in litt. 2020). Fewer than 50 are now estimated to be present on Roti (Verbelen et al. 2017), and the actual number may be only a handful given the lack of recent records (C. Trainor and J. P. Lopez in litt. 2020). On Atuaro the species is present (Trainor and Soares 2004) and there is an undocumented record on eBird from 2013 (eBird 2021), but it appears to be very scarce if there is an extant population.

Trend justification: Clearance of lowland forest has greatly reduced the extent of suitable habitat for the species, but intense hunting pressure is the main factor in the rapid and continuing decline in this species's population. The stronghold of the population is now in northeastern Timor-Leste, where encounter rates and total numbers in 2018-2019 were similar or slightly lower than found in 2003 (C. Trainor & J. P. Lopez in litt. 2020). Elsewhere in the range the species has almost disappeared. There have been no documented or confirmed records from West Timor since 1999, and the Bipolo forest is now only a tiny remnant. The species is believed to have been lost from both this site and Camplong, where it was present at the beginning of the 21st century (C. Trainor & J. P. Lopez  in litt. 2020). On Roti Island, records have been few despite numerous observers searching the forested northern part of the island (Verbelen & Cooleman 2015). The most recent record appears to be that from 2013 (Verbelen & Cooleman 2015), with no records from ten days in northern Roti in 2018-19 (C. Trainor in litt. 2020). It appears that hunting has virtually eliminated the species from this island.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Indonesia extant native yes
Timor-Leste extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Indonesia Bipolo
Indonesia Camplong
Indonesia Gunung Timau
Indonesia Semau
Timor-Leste Atauro Island
Timor-Leste Lore
Timor-Leste Monte Diatuto
Timor-Leste Monte Mak Fahik - Sarim
Timor-Leste Mount Paitchau and Lake Iralalaro
Timor-Leste Sungai Klere

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland major resident
Altitude 0 - 500 m Occasional altitudinal limits (max) 1080 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%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Species mortality
Biological resource use Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation
Natural system modifications Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Residential & commercial development Housing & urban areas Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Food - human subsistence, national

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Timor Green-pigeon Treron psittaceus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/timor-green-pigeon-treron-psittaceus 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.