• 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. 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.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	D1

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2021	Least Concern
2016	Vulnerable	C2a(i)
2012	Vulnerable	C2a(i)
2008	Vulnerable	C2a(i)
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

Migratory status	nomadic	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type		Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	34,000 km2	medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	5,084 km2
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	800 - 23000, 2500-23000 mature individuals	poor	suspected	2021
Population trend	unknown	poor	-	-
Generation length	6.58 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	8	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: There are no direct estimates of the species's population density or population size. On Espiritu Santo, it was recorded as present between 500 and 1,400 m asl, and common between 800 and 1,200 m in the West Santo mountains (S. Totterman pers. obs. 2010). During surveys in the Espiritu Santo uplands in 2002-2003, the species was uncommon at Wunarohaehare and common at Tsaraepae, where 20 were sometimes recorded on a single day (Kratter et al. 2006). It has been found to be common on Vanua Lava (Parr 2007). It appears to be rare on Ambae (none seen or heard in several days birdwatching in the montane forest [S. Totterman in litt. 2007]).

According to remote sensing data, there were approximately 3,540 km² of forest with at least 50% canopy cover within the species's range in 2010 (Global Forest Watch 2021). Based on the minimum and first quartile recorded densities of congeners (1.1 and 14.5 individuals/km², respectively), the area of tree cover stated above, and assuming that tree cover to be one to two thirds occupied, the population size is tentatively suspected to fall in the range 1,200 - 35,000 individuals, roughly equating to 800 - 23,000 mature individuals. Given that the species has been described as common in parts of Espiritu Santo and on Vanua Lava, the true population size is unlikely to fall very close to the minimum end of this range, and the best estimate is here placed in the range 2,500 - 23,000 mature individuals.

Its population structure is poorly known but it is precautionarily assessed as having separate subpopulations on each of the main islands. The species's range on Espiritu Santo has the largest area of tree cover, estimated at 2,500 km² (approximately 70% of the total; Global Forest Watch 2021), which may translate to a population of 600-16,000 mature individuals according to the method used above, but is suspected to be larger than 1,000 mature individuals (G. Dutson in litt. 2021).

Trend justification: There are no data on population trends. Remote sensed data on tree cover loss indicates that forest loss within the species's range has been very slow over recent decades, with approximately 0.36% of tree cover with at least 50% canopy cover lost over 19 years from 2000-2019 (Global Forest Watch 2021). Hunting may be causing a population decline, but the impact is unknown.

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

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Vanuatu	Gaua
Vanuatu	Santo Mountain Chain
Vanuatu	Vanua Lava, Mount Sereama

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	200 - 1800 m	Occasional altitudinal limits	(min) 0 m

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Shifting agriculture	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Species mortality
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation

Purpose	Scale
Food - human	subsistence, national

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Vanuatu Imperial-pigeon Ducula bakeri. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/vanuatu-imperial-pigeon-ducula-bakeri 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.