Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species is Endangered owing to its very small population and very small range on three volcanoes, and has declined rapidly in response to extensive deforestation.
Population justification
The population is estimated to number 250-999 mature individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size. This is consistent with recorded population density estimates for congeners or close relatives with a similar body size, and the fact that only a proportion of the estimated Extent of Occurrence is likely to be occupied. This estimate is equivalent to 375-1,499 individuals in total, rounded here to 350-1,500 individuals.
Trend justification
The species's population is suspected to be declining very rapidly, in line with continued habitat destruction.
Zentrygon carrikeri is endemic to Sierra de los Tuxtlas in south-east Veracruz, Mexico (Howell and Webb 1995, Beltrán et al. 2020). It presumably occurred throughout the sierra, but fragmentation of its habitat may have isolated populations in four areas on the main volcanoes, San Martín, San Martín Pajapan and Santa Marta. It was found to be fairly common in surveys between 1951 and 1962 (Andrle 1967) and is now considered fairly common to common in suitable habitat (Howell and Webb 1995). However, there has been a rapid loss of such habitat (Dirzo and García 1992), indicating that the population has probably declined significantly.
It is partially terrestrial in the understorey of humid evergreen forest at elevations of 350 m-1,700 m (Howell and Webb 1995, Beltrán et al. 2020). In 2010-2011 it was recorded mainly in cloud forest but it does also inhabit tropical rainforest (Monterrubio-Rico et al. 2016). Recent evidence from Beltrán et al. (2020) has also placed the species in secondary forest and restored areas alongside primary forest and suggests the species has strong terrestrial habits, both for feeding and additional undertakings including dirt baths. The species's diet largely comprised seeds and fruit (Schaldach 1997, Díaz Islas 2002) although it has also been witnessed to consume arthropods (Beltrán et al. 2020). Breeding behaviour is thought to vary with relation to altitude with earlier courtship and breeding recorded in highland areas compared to neighbouring lowlands; nests are typically located 1.5-3 m above the ground and contain one or two eggs (Beltrán et al. 2020). The species is thought to usually occur either alone or in pairs (Schulenberg 2018).
Destruction of the species's habitat is presumed to take place for timber, cultivation and pasture. On Volcán San Martín, 84% of the original forest area was lost by 1986, with 56% lost between 1967 and 1986 (Dirzo and García 1992). In 1992, it was predicted that only 8.7% of original habitat, restricted to the most inaccessible tracts and protected areas, would remain by 2000 (Dirzo and García 1992). At that time, it appeared that similar habitat loss was taking place on Volcán Santa Marta (Dirzo and García 1992). It is unknown whether this prediction has been fulfilled, but it is clear that there has been extensive forest clearance in the Sierra de los Tuxtlas. Pressures on the species's habitat may be abating, or at least stabilising at present levels (R. Ortiz-Pulido in litt. 2008). Although hunting has been suggested as a primary threat for the species in the past (Schaldach 1997), this is now considered minimal with the majority of impacts coming from flushing by hunting dogs targeting different species (Beltrán et al. 2020).
Conservation Actions Underway
Prior to 2000 it occurred in two protected areas: Santa Marta Biosphere Reserve and Los Tuxtlas Biological Station. After 2000 the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve was created which incorporated the previous reserves. However it is not clear if this new reserve is viable as a conservation tool to preserve this species. A small captive population is kept at Africam Safari Zoo, Pueblo City, Mexico (R. Ortiz-Pulido in litt. 2008). This species is on the watch list as part of the State of North America's Birds (North American Bird Conservation Initiative 2016). Community-based monitoring and local education and awareness schemes have also become increasingly prevalent in recent years (Beltrán et al. 2020).
30 cm. Plump, ash-and-brown terrestrial pigeon. Light ashy-grey head and breast with white forecrown and black malar and loral stripes. Brown flanks and white belly. Purplish mantle becoming brown on lower back and rump. Brown wings and tail. Red legs. Similar spp. Ruddy Quail-dove G. montana is smaller, browner and lacks white face. Voice Three syllable hu w-wohw, repeated every three seconds.
Text account compilers
Everest, J.
Contributors
Benstead, P., Capper, D., Howell, S., Isherwood, I., Ortiz-Pulido, R., Sharpe, C.J., Taylor, J. & Westrip, J.R.S.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Tuxtla Quail-Dove Zentrygon carrikeri. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/tuxtla-quail-dove-zentrygon-carrikeri on 23/11/2024.
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 23/11/2024.