LC
Violet-backed Hyliota Hyliota violacea



Taxonomy

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.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2024 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency medium
Land-mass type Average mass 16 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 5,190,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown - - -
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 2.81 years - - -

Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as uncommon to locally not uncommon in Liberia, frequent to common in Ghana and rare to uncommon in most of West Africa (del Hoyo et al. 2006). This species is considered to have a medium dependency on forest habitat, and tree cover is estimated to have declined by 5.5% within its mapped range over the past 10 years (Global Forest Watch 2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it is tentatively suspected that this loss of cover may have led to a decline of between 1-19% in the species' population size over the same time frame.

Trend justification:   .


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Benin extant native yes
Cameroon extant native yes
Central African Republic extant native yes
Congo extant native yes
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant native yes
Côte d'Ivoire extant native yes
Equatorial Guinea extant native yes
Gabon extant native yes
Ghana extant native yes
Guinea extant native yes
Liberia extant native yes
Nigeria extant native yes
Rwanda extant native yes
Sierra Leone extant native yes
Togo extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Cameroon Bakossi mountains
Cameroon Boumba - Bek
Cameroon Campo Ma'an complex
Cameroon Dja Faunal Reserve
Cameroon Korup National Park
Cameroon Lobéké National Park
Cameroon Mbam Minkom - Kala
Cameroon Mount Kupe
Central African Republic Ngotto
Congo Dimonika Biosphere Reserve
Congo Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park complex
Congo Odzala National Park complex
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Forests west of Lake Edward
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Itombwe Mountains
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Lomako - Yekokora
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Luki Forest Reserve
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Maiko National Park
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Mount Hoyo Reserve
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Ngiri
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Okapi Faunal Reserve
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Salonga National Park
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Virunga National Park
Côte d'Ivoire Bossematie Forest Reserve
Côte d'Ivoire Gueoule and Glo Mountain Forest Reserves
Côte d'Ivoire Lamto Ecological Research Station
Côte d'Ivoire Marahoue National Park
Côte d'Ivoire Mopri Forest Reserve
Côte d'Ivoire Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve
Côte d'Ivoire Parc National de Taï et Réserve de faune du N'Zo
Côte d'Ivoire Peko Mountain National Park
Côte d'Ivoire Yapo and Mambo Forest Reserves
Equatorial Guinea Monte Alen National Park
Equatorial Guinea Nsork Highlands National Park
Gabon Gamba Protected Areas Complex
Gabon Ipassa Strict Nature Reserve
Gabon Lopé Faunal Reserve
Gabon Minkébé Forest Reserve
Ghana Bia National Park and Resource Reserve
Ghana Boin Tano Forest Reserve
Ghana Kakum National Park - Assin Attandaso Resource Reserve
Ghana Tano-Ehuro Forest Reserve
Ghana Tano-Offin Forest Reserve
Guinea Diécké
Guinea Massif du Ziama
Guinea Monts Nimba (part of Mount Nimba transboundary AZE)
Liberia Grebo
Liberia Lofa-Gola-Mano Complex
Liberia Nimba mountains
Liberia Wologizi mountains
Liberia Zwedru
Nigeria Cross River National Park (Okwangwo Division) and Mbe Mountains
Rwanda Nyungwe National Park
Sierra Leone Kambui Hills Forest Reserve
Sierra Leone Loma Mountains Non-hunting Forest Reserve
Togo Misahöhe Forest Reserve

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Plantations suitable resident
Artificial/Terrestrial Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest suitable resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland major resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane suitable resident
Altitude 0 - 2000 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Violet-backed Hyliota Hyliota violacea. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/violet-backed-hyliota-hyliota-violacea 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.