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

Justification of Red List category
This species is thought to be suffering moderately rapid declines throughout its limited range in response to habitat loss and degradation, which show no sign of abatement. However, the population is not yet thought to be small, and it shows some tolerance towards montane forest, for which rates of forest loss are much lower. It is therefore currently listed as Near Threatened, although habitat extent should continue to be closely monitored.

Population justification
A historic estimate of below 10,000 birds by Juniper and Parr (1998) is almost certainly too low. Walker and Cahill (2000) recorded the species at densities of 7.18 birds/km² and 16.27 birds/km² in the Tangkoko Duasaudara Nature Reserve and Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park in 1996-1998. With approximately 11,300 km² of lowland rainforest in its range, they estimated that the global population size of P. flavicans was 44,650-221,250 birds (using the lower bound of the lowest density recorded, and the higher bound of the greatest density recorded), with a best estimate of c.95,000-170,000 birds, perhaps equivalent to 62,700-112,200 mature individuals. In 2022, the area of suitable (breeding) habitat for this species was c.7,000-9,500 km², depending on the assumptions used on this species' adaptability to degradation. Using these contemporary data, the total population size is revised here to 59,000-143,000 birds, or c.40,000-95,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification
This species is suspected to be declining relatively moderately because of ongoing forest loss within its range. This species favours lowland forest below 1,000 m, which is the most rapidly disappearing on Sulawesi. In the three generations (13.4 years; Bird et al. 2020) to 2022, forest cover extent in the range of P. flavicans reduced by c.15-17%, depending on the assumptions used (Global Forest Watch 2022, based on data from Hansen et al. [2013] and methods disclosed therein). This does not account for habitat degradation, which is rampant in northern Sulawesi and, to a lesser extent, on the Togian islands (Voigt et al. 2021, Global Forest Watch 2022). Although the species visits higher elevations and degraded habitats, it is thought to do so only to feed, and relies on lowland forest with nesting hollows to breed. Evaluating the scant data available, over the past three generations the species is therefore suspected to have declined by 15-25%. In the future three generations, this may accelerate (see Voigt et al. 2021), and the rate is placed in the band 20-29%.

Prioniturus flavicans is known from the eastern two-thirds of the northern peninsula (Minahasa) of Sulawesi, Indonesia, with populations on adjacent islands including the Togian Islands (Juniper and Parr 1998, BirdLife International 2001, Eaton et al. 2021, eBird 2022).

It is generally found in primary forest below 1,000 m but it will range as high as 1,900 m and use trees in cultivated areas. It forages in mid-storey lowland and hill forest, gathering in fruiting trees. The only recorded nest was situated in a cavity in the rootball of an arboreal epiphytic fern (Walker and Seroji 2000).

The only recognised threat to this species is habitat loss and degradation which are projected to accelerate over the next decades and should be closely monitored (Voigt et al. 2021).

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II (along with all parrots). Occurs in numerous protected areas, including the expansive Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2022).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Effectively protect areas of occupancy from additional forest loss and trapping. Continue to monitor rates of forest loss within its range using remote sensing data.

Text account compilers
Berryman, A.

Contributors
Benstead, P., Bird, J. & Taylor, J.

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Yellowish-breasted Racquet-tail Prioniturus flavicans. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/yellowish-breasted-racquet-tail-prioniturus-flavicans on 18/12/2024.
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 18/12/2024.