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

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.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,v)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2021	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2016	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2012	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2008	Endangered	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,v)
2007	Endangered
2004	Endangered
2000	Endangered
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	medium
Land-mass type	continent	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	1,200 km2	medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	844 km2
Number of locations	2-5	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	2500-9999 mature individuals	poor	estimated	2021
Population trend	decreasing	medium	estimated	-
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	20-25%	-	-	-
Generation length	3.3 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2-20	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: In c.1980, the total population was conservatively estimated at 28,000 individuals, based on a population density of 2-3 birds/ha (van der Willigen and Lovett 1981). Neate-Clegg et al. (2021) estimate that between c.1980-2019, the species declined by approximately 60% based on a comparison of repeated mist-net surveys. Therefore, the population may now equal 11,200 individuals, roughly equating to 7,466 mature individuals. The global population is therefore placed in the band of 2,500-9,999 mature individuals.

Trend justification: The population is estimated to be in decline owing to the clearance and degradation of the species's forest habitat through the encroachment of agriculture and wood extraction, and habitat shifting due to climate change. Neate-Clegg et al. (2021) estimate that the species has declined by 60% between c.1980-2019. Habitat shifting is likely to continue affecting the species in the future, but the resulting likely rate of decline has not been quantified.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Tanzania	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Tanzania	West Usambara Mountains

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	1600 - 2200 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching - Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Wood & pulp plantations - Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		No decline		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Whole (>90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Species mortality

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Usambara Akalat Sheppardia montana. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/usambara-akalat-sheppardia-montana on 23/12/2024.
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 23/12/2024.