Slender-billed Flufftail (Sarothrura watersi): Revise global status?

Red List Team (BirdLife International)

Slender-billed Flufftail (Sarothrura watersi): Revise global status?

Africa

This discussion was first published as part of the 2021 Red List update. At the time a decision regarding its status was pended, but to enable potential reassessment of this species as part of the 2022 Red List update this post remained open and the date of posting has been updated.

8 thoughts on “Slender-billed Flufftail (Sarothrura watersi): Revise global status?

  1. I suggest do not change its current status as the big threat of this species is the habitat degradation (marshes) in Madagascar. For exampl, ten years ago, one wetland site which I visited at Torotorofotsy had a good number of individuals but at the moment, the number is really decreased.

  2. At the moment there are few studies done in relation of population size of Slender billed Flufftail in their known occurrence sites in Madagascar wetland (high plateau and eastern side). Therefore, it is not justifiable to propose new statute of this species with this GAP information. And I agree with Pr Lily suggestion to maintain it as Endangered. is reasonable decision

  3. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested by so many people in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 21 February 2022. We will now analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’s Red List status on this page on 21 February 2022, when discussions will re-open.

  4. Preliminary proposal

    Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2022.1 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion. Although habitat degradation is an ongoing threat, the resulting declines do not currently meet the threshold to retain the listing as Endangered.

    There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 27 February 2022, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.

    The final 2022.1 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in July 2022, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.

  5. Agreed to apply the criteria rigorously. However moving from Endangered to Near-threatened does not seem justified, especially as at one major site (Torotorofotsy) the species has apparently declined over the last 10 years according to one observer (see comments). Suggest will qualify for VU under A4, B2a,b, C1, C2a(i).

  6. A downlisting to NT would leave Madagascar Rail and Snipe (VU) in a higher threat category than Slender-billed flufftail, even though the latter is found in the same habitats but seems much rarer and more restricted in range that the first two (although admitting it’s elusive). It may be better to consider all the East Malagasy wetlands species together, and look more closely at the habitat loss data for them. This would suggest either no change (for now), or follow Frank Hawkins’s suggestion (VU).

  7. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested by so many people in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 7 March 2022.

  8. Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN

    The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Although the species has a restricted range, it does not approach the threshold for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. Despite a decreasing population trend, the decline is not sufficiently rapid to approach the threshold for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion. Therefore, Slender-billed Flufftail is recommended to be listed as Near Threatened, approaching the thresholds for listing as threatened under Criteria C2a(i); D1.

    Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2022.1 GTB Forum process. The final 2022.1 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in July 2022, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.

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