Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species is suspected to have a very small population. Previous reports of the wholesale felling of juniper woodland now appear unfounded, and the population trend is suspected to be stable. This species has therefore been downlisted to Near Threatened, however future population surveys may warrant a further change in Red List category.
Population justification
A survey-based population estimate has not been calculated for this species. The population size was inferred in c.2000 to fall in the band of 250-999 mature individuals, based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size, and recorded population density estimates for congeners. Due to political instability, no recent information is available. It is therefore suspected that the population size still falls into the band of 250-999 mature individuals.
Trend justification
Data from Global Forest Watch (2020) suggests that between 2001-2019, the species’s range experienced a 0.57% loss of forest cover (>30% canopy cover). While juniper woodland is thought to be a key component of this species’s habitat, it is not entirely dependent on forest cover, so it is assumed to be declining at a slower rate than forest loss, a rate <1% over ten years. In the absence of other known threats, the population is suspected to be stable.
Linaria johannis is recorded from two small areas (Daalo and Mashacaleed) of the northern Somalia highlands, where it has been described as common but very local (Ash and Miskell 1998). The range may extend from an unknown distance west of the Daalo junction on the Ceerigaabo-Maydh road, and to the east through Mashacaleed and at least as far as Moon (J. E. Miskell in litt. 2010), but the precise limits of where it may occur is not known (N. Redman in litt. 2016). It is found in some numbers around Mt. Surad Cad and Daalo IBA, but juniper forest is more degraded and the species is much less common in the Mashacaleed-Moon area (J. E. Miskell in litt. 2010).
The species occurs in both open country and juniper woodland (J. S. Ash in litt. 1999). At Daalo, birds were recorded arriving at the locality an hour and a half after sunrise and leaving by midday, spending the morning feeding on seeds of grasses and sage Salvia, drinking, and also spending much time sitting in elevated dead branches on trees (J. S. Ash in litt. 1999). At the Moon/Ragad site, birds have been recorded drinking from a stream and alighting on a vertical cliff-face (J. S. Ash in litt. 1999). Although this species has been recorded as being associated with junipers, no preference for junipers was observed (J. S. Ash in litt. 1999). It may be that this species is only seasonally dependent on the forest (N. Redman in litt. 2016). In Daalo forest, the species is well known in May-July at least, when they are feeding on Salvia flowers along the roadside or in glades or clearings in the forest (N. Redman in litt. 2016). At Daalo, all 19 birds netted were males (J. S. Ash in litt. 1999). Earlier field studies have also found no females at Daalo, suggesting they may be incubating eggs some distance away. At other times, when Salvia are not flowering, the birds are very hard to find in the forest, and in September 2012 a flock of 5 were seen in open, rocky Euphorbia country at 1860m a few km to the NW of Ceerigaabo, some distance from the nearest forest (N. Redman in litt. 2016). The breeding biology of the species remains unknown (J. S. Ash in litt. 1999).
The species is suspected to be seasonal, and has been observed in open scrubby areas (N. Redman in litt. 2021). It is thought that the species inhabits glades and open areas around juniper woodland, where it feeds on flowering Salvias from May to July, and then moves to drier areas once the Salvias finish flowering (N. Redman in litt. 2021). The species may therefore not been entirely dependent on the juniper forest (N. Redman in litt. 2021).
Warsangli Linnet is threatened by potential loss of its juniper woodland habitat, which was thought to be exacerbated by the ongoing civil unrest. It was feared in 1998 that juniper woodland in this species's range had been completely cleared (J. S. Ash in litt. 1999). Due to the ongoing political situation, obtaining recent information for this species is difficult. However, visits in 2010 and 2012 found the forest to be in reasonable condition, with little evidence of tree-felling (N. Borrow in litt. 2010; N. Redman in litt. 2016), and the clearance reports of 1998 now appear to be unfounded. Furthermore, data from Global Forest Watch (2020) suggests that since 2012, the species range has experienced a forest loss of only 0.05%. This evidence suggests that the complete clearance of the juniper woodland has not taken place, and current rates of forest loss are minimal. Climate change could also prove to be a threat as its a species range restricted to the Horn of Africa (Huntley et al. 2006; Şekercioğlu et al. 2012).
It is thought that the species may inhabit open areas around the juniper woodland (N. Redman in litt. 2021). These areas are often threatened by overgrazing in Somaliland (N. Redman in litt. 2021).
Conservation Actions Underway
Although Daalo is a Forest Reserve, the current political situation in Somalia means that this provides no legal protection whatsoever. No conservation action or fieldwork has been undertaken in recent years. In 2010 there were efforts in place to control erosion at Daalo (N. Borrow in litt. 2010).
13 cm. Medium-sized finch. Pale grey upperparts with black wings and tail. Wings have white patch at base of primaries. White rump. Rust-coloured lower back. Uniform white underparts with rusty-buff flanks. Voice Song is jumbled canary-like twittering. Calls include single tsee wit, tweek and sis sis sis.
Text account compilers
Clark, J.
Contributors
Ash, J.S., Borrow, N., Ekstrom, J., Miskell, J., Redman, N., Shutes, S., Starkey, M., Symes, A., Taylor, J. & Westrip, J.R.S.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Warsangli Linnet Linaria johannis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/warsangli-linnet-linaria-johannis 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.