Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species is suspected to be declining slowly as a result of ongoing deforestation, largely due to forest clearance for cattle grazing. The entire range lies downstream of two recently constructed large hydroelectricity plants that could threaten the species and its habitat. For these reasons, it is listed as Near Threatened.
Population justification
The population size has not been quantified. The species appears to be common in suitable habitat within its range (M. Cohn-Haft in litt. 2022).
While density estimates are available for congeners, including P. exilis, P. rufiventris and P. spilogaster, these are not considered representative for this species due to ecological differences (D. M. Lima in litt. 2022).
Trend justification
The species is feared to be in decline as forested habitat within the range is lost.
Over ten years from 2010 to 2020, approximately 7% of tree cover with at least 50% canopy cover was lost from within the species' range; based on the rate of tree cover loss within the range over five years to 2020, up to 10% of tree cover is projected to be lost over the next decade (Global Forest Watch 2021, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). The species is thought to have some tolerance of disturbance (del Hoyo et al. 2002; M. Cohn-Haft in litt. 2011, 2022), so the population size is unlikely to exceed 10% over ten years. It is here tentatively placed in the band 1-9% over ten years.
Picumnus varzeae has a small range within Amazonian Brazil (del Hoyo et al. 2002, Winkler et al. 2020). It is known from the várzea (seasonally flooded forest) along the Amazon river, between the mouth of the Rio Negro and the lower Rio Madeira in east Amazonas, east to the Trombetas river in north-west Pará (del Hoyo et al. 2002, A. Lees in litt. 2011, CEMAVE 2018).
This species occurs in tall and medium height lowland várzea (seasonally flooded forest), including secondary and scrubby forest; it likely tolerates disturbance to some extent (del Hoyo et al. 2002, Santos et al. 2011, M. Cohn-Haft in litt. 2011, 2022). It appears to breed between June and December (del Hoyo et al. 2002, Winkler et al. 2020). Nests are placed in cavities of moderately thick tree trunks (M. Cohn-Haft in litt. 2022).
The main threat to the species is deforestation, primarily due to forest clearance for cattle grazing (CEMAVE 2018). The entire range lies downstream of two recently developed hydroelectric plants, which could threaten the species (A. Lees in litt. 2011, CEMAVE 2018). The dams are about 700 km away from the core of the range and currently there are no measurable impacts on varzea habitat along the Amazonas (M. Cohn-Haft in litt. 2022, A. Lees in litt. 2022, D. M. Lima in litt. 2022), but it is impossible to predict if and how rapidly habitat alterations may occur. A further potential threat includes hybridisation with P. cirratus macconnelli in parts of the range, though this currently does not impact on the population size (Santana 2018, M. Cohn-Haft in litt. 2022).
Conservation Actions Underway
The species is included in the National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Birds of the Amazon, which includes plans to carry out research on the species's population, ecology, genetics, and important areas of habitat (ICMBio 2015).
Conservation Actions Proposed
Quantify the population size. Study the impact of the hydroelectricity plants on the population size. Monitor the population trend.
Expand the protected area network to effectively protect key sites. Effectively manage protected areas, utilising emerging opportunities to finance protected area management with the joint aims of reducing carbon emissions and maximizing biodiversity conservation. Incentivise conservation on private lands through expanding market pressures for sound land management and preventing forest clearance on lands unsuitable for agriculture (Soares-Filho et al. 2006).
8-9 cm. Tiny, brown woodpecker. Crown, forehead and nape are black, spotted white, the male with red-tipped feathers on the crown and upper forehead. Sides of head and neck are dark brown with irregular black vermiculation. Upperparts are dark brown to greenish brown, with paler underparts. Black-and-white tail. Short bill. Grey legs.
Text account compilers
Wheatley, H., Hermes, C.
Contributors
Butchart, S., Cohn-Haft, M., Ekstrom, J., Khwaja, N., Lees, A., Lima, D.M. & Symes, A.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Varzea Piculet Picumnus varzeae. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/varzea-piculet-picumnus-varzeae 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.