Neottia nidus-avis LC Taxonomic Authority: (L.) Rich. Global Assessment Regional Assessment Region: Global Endemic to region Synonyms Common names Ophrys nidus-avis L. BIRD'S-NEST ORCHID English Epipactis nidus-avis (L.) Crantz NIDO D'UCCELLO Italian
Upper Level Taxonomy Kingdom: PLANTAE Phylum: TRACHEOPHYTA Class: LILIOPSIDA Order: ORCHIDALES Family: ORCHIDACEAE Lower Level Taxonomy Rank: Infra- rank name: Plant Hybrid Subpopulation: Authority:
General Information Distribution Neottia nidus-avis is distributed in Europe to Caucasus and north west Africa.
Found in Ireland, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, France, Balaeric Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Czechloslavakia, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Western Russia, Central Russia, Western Siberia, Algeria, Turkey and Iran.
Range Size Elevation Biogeographic Realm Area of Occupancy: Upper limit: 2000 Afrotropical Extent of Occurrence: Lower limit: 100 Antarctic Map Status: Depth Australasian Upper limit: Neotropical Lower limit: Oceanian Depth Zones Palearctic Shallow photic Bathyl Hadal Indomalayan Photic Abyssal Nearctic
Population The species is widespread in Europe and common in many deciduous forests.
Total Population Size Minimum Population Size: Maximum Population Size:
Habitat and Ecology
N. nidus-avis is a holomycotrophic (plant without chlorophyll) rhizome geophyte which grows in woodlands on basic soil: under shade in deep leaf litter in beech, hazel and pine forests.
The bird's nest orchid is a terrestrial leafless species that is a myco-heterotrophic (species which have completely lost their ability to photosynthesize) plant for all of its life cycle. N. nidus-avis is a heterotrophic species because its immediate source of reduced carbon is provided by associated fungi (Gardes, 2002), Neottia lives in symbiosis with the fungus Rhizoctonia. The fungus/orchid combination is effectively a perennial saprophyte feeding on decomposing leaf litter, or perhaps the mycorrhiza may be shared with nearby tree species.
The plants do not appear every year. System Movement pattern Crop Wild Relative Terrestrial Freshwater Marine Congregatory Migratory Is the species a wild relative of a crop?
Growth From Definition Geophyte Plants with underground bulbs, corms, rhizome, tubers (not lignotubers), also termed Cryptophytes
Threats There are no known threats for the species.
Past Present Future 1 Habitat Loss/Degradation (human induced) 12 Unknown Conservation Measures There are no known conservation measures specifically for N. nidus-avis, but the species is known to occur in many protected areas.
In Place Needed 3 Research actions 3.2 Population numbers and range 3.5 Threats 4 Habitat and site-based actions 4.4 Protected areas 4.4.3 Management 4.4.4 Expansion
Countries of Occurrence Native Native - Presence Presence Possibly Re- Possibly Possibly Possibly Extinct Extinct introduced Reintroduced Introduced Introduced Vagrant Vagrant Confirmed Possible Albania Algeria Austria Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russian Federation Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom
General Habitats Score Description 1 Forest 1 Suitable 1.6 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland 1 Suitable 1.9 Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane 1 Suitable
Ecosystem Services Insufficient Information available Species provides no ecosystem services Score according to relative importance where 1 = very important, 2 = important, 3 = some importance, 4 = not important/relevant and 5 = not known. Ecosystem service Score (from 1 to 5) Geographic range over which benefits are felt? Water Quality 5 Unknown Water Supplies 5 Unknown Flood Control 5 Unknown Climate Regulation 5 Unknown Landscape 5 Unknown Air Quality 5 Unknown Nutrient Cycling 3 Unknown Habitat Maintenance 5 Unknown Provision of Critical Habitat 5 Unknown Pollination 5 Unknown Erosion Control 5 Unknown Biocontrol 5 Unknown Shoreline Protection 5 Unknown Other (specify) Define Other: Other (specify) Define Other:
Species Utilisation Species is not utilised at all
Purpose / Type of Use Subsistence National International 17. Unknown
Trend in the level of wild offtake/harvest in relation to total wild population numbers over the last five years: Trend in the amount of offtake/harvest produced through domestication/cultivation over the last five years: CITES status: Appendix II IUCN Red Listing Red List Assessment:(using 2001 IUCN system) Least Concern (LC)
Red List Criteria: Date Last Seen (only for EX, EW or Possibly EX species): Is the species Possibly Extinct? Possibly Extinct Candidate? Rationale for the Red List Assessment The species has a wide distribution range across Eurasia and north Africa, the population is believed to be stable and no serious threats are known at present. N. nidus-avisis currently assessed as Least Concern. The species needs to be monitored over a longer period of time to make sure that it doesn't fall into a threatened category. Reason(s) for Change in Red List Category from the Previous Assessment: Genuine Change Nongenuine Change No Change Genuine (recent) New information Taxonomy Same category Genuine (since first assessment) Knowledge of Criteria Criteria Revisio and criteria Incorrect data used Other Same category but previously change in criteria Current Population Trend: Stable Date of Assessment: 26/03/2009 Name(s) of the Assessor(s): Sara Contu Evaluator(s): Notes:
Criterion A Criterion B Criterion C Criterion D A1a A1b A1c A1d B1a C1 D A2a A2b A2c A2d B1b(i) B1b(ii) B1b(iii) B1b(iv) B1b(v) C2a(i) C2a(i) D1 A3b A3c A3d B1c(i) B1c(ii) B1c(iii) B1c(iv) C2b D2 A4a A4b A4c A4d B2a B2b(i) B2b(ii) B2b(iii) B2b(iv) B2b(v) Criterion E B2c(i) B2c(ii) B2c(iii) B2c(iv) E
Generation Length: % population decline in the past: Time period over which the past decline has been measured for applying Criterion A or C1 (in years or generations): % population decline in the future: Time period over which the future decline has been measured for applying Criterion A or C1 (in years or generations): Number of Locations: Severely Fragmented: Number of Mature Individuals: