BirdLife species factsheet for Manipur Bush-quail Manipur Bush-quail Perdicula manipurensis occurs in northern West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya in north-eastern India, with its range at least historically extending into Chittagong, Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylhet districts, Bangladesh. It is currently classified as Vulnerable under criteria A2c+3c+4c; B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v); C2a(i), because its poorly known specialised habitat is rapidly declining and becoming increasingly fragmented owing to demand for agriculture, overgrazing and inappropriate fire regimes, its population is undergoing a rapid decline and it suffers from on-going hunting pressures across its range. The population was previously estimated to number 2,500-9,999 mature individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size. However, recent information suggests that the species’s population is likely to be smaller than previously thought, and its grassland habitat is now severely fragmented (A. Rahmani in litt. 2012). It went unrecorded between 1932 and 2006 (Anon. 2006), and has not been seen since, despite follow-up surveys, indicating that its small range may be occupied by a very small population. If there is evidence to suggest that the population is likely to have undergone a reduction of ≥50% over three generations (estimated at c.12 years [BirdLife International, unpubl. data]), this species would warrant uplisting to Endangered under IUCN Red List criterion A2c+3c+4c. If the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of this species is <5,000 km2, its habitat is confirmed to be severely fragmented and is continuing to decline, it would qualify as Endangered under B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v). If its population is now estimated to be <2,500 mature individuals and all subpopulations are ≤250 mature individuals, it would qualify as Endangered under criterion C2a(i). Any information which might be provide new insights into this species’s likely distribution, population size, trends, size of the largest subpopulation and the severity of threats faced by this species is requested. Reference: Anon. (2006) Bush-quail makes unexpected reappearance. World Birdwatch 28(3): 8.
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The paucity of recent records indicates that the data could be reinterpreted to suggest that this species would be better categorised as Endangered rather than Vulnerable. As far as I am aware, other than the 2006 record its status is as described in Threatened Birds of Asia.
Its worth noting that Threatened Birds of Asia considers that the only reliable historical records come from northern West Bengal, Assam and Manipur, making its distribution considerably smaller than that described in this forum topic. Has new evidence come to light that indicates that the records from Bangladesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya be re-considered? This has implications for the EOO, range of habitats utilised etc.
Manipur Bush-quail Perdicula manipurensis.Presently, no record of the presence of the species can be tracked from West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya except from few pocket areas of Manipur in the adjoining areas of Churachandpur and Tamenglong district and Nagaland in India. The distribution of the species seems to be much smaller than that described in this forum topic.It will be better categorised the species as Endangered rather than Vulnerable. Even the very fragile last habitat of the species at the terrace paddy fields of the riparian forest of Leimatak river in Manipur is on last leg.
R.K. Birjit Singh
Center for Conservation of Nature & Cultivation of Science(CCNCS), Manipur, India.