Threatened Birds of Asia: The BirdLife International Red Data Book Editors N. J. COLLAR (Editor-in-chief), A. V. ANDREEV, S. CHAN, M. J. CROSBY, S. SUBRAMANYA and J. A. TOBIAS Maps by RUDYANTO and M. J. CROSBY Principal compilers and data contributors ■ BANGLADESH P. Thompson ■ BHUTAN R. Pradhan; C. Inskipp, T. Inskipp ■ CAMBODIA Sun Hean; C. M. Poole ■ CHINA ■ MAINLAND CHINA Zheng Guangmei; Ding Changqing, Gao Wei, Gao Yuren, Li Fulai, Liu Naifa, Ma Zhijun, the late Tan Yaokuang, Wang Qishan, Xu Weishu, Yang Lan, Yu Zhiwei, Zhang Zhengwang. ■ HONG KONG Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (BirdLife Affiliate); H. F. Cheung; F. N. Y. Lock, C. K. W. Ma, Y. T. Yu. ■ TAIWAN Wild Bird Federation of Taiwan (BirdLife Partner); L. Liu Severinghaus; Chang Chin-lung, Chiang Ming-liang, Fang Woei-horng, Ho Yi-hsian, Hwang Kwang-yin, Lin Wei-yuan, Lin Wen-horn, Lo Hung-ren, Sha Chian-chung, Yau Cheng-teh. ■ INDIA Bombay Natural History Society (BirdLife Partner Designate) and Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History; L. Vijayan and V. S. Vijayan; S. Balachandran, R. Bhargava, P. C. Bhattacharjee, S. Bhupathy, A. Chaudhury, P. Gole, S. A. Hussain, R. Kaul, U. Lachungpa, R. Naroji, S. Pandey, A. Pittie, V. Prakash, A. Rahmani, P. Saikia, R. Sankaran, P. Singh, R. Sugathan, Zafar-ul Islam ■ INDONESIA BirdLife International Indonesia Country Programme; Ria Saryanthi; D. Agista, S. van Balen, Y. Cahyadin, R. F. A. Grimmett, F. R. Lambert, M. Poulsen, Rudyanto, I. Setiawan, C. Trainor ■ JAPAN Wild Bird Society of Japan (BirdLife Partner); Y. Fujimaki; Y. Kanai, H. Morioka, K. Ono, H. Uchida, M. Ueta, N. Yanagisawa ■ KOREA ■ NORTH KOREA Pak U-il; Chong Jong-ryol, Rim Chu- yon. ■ SOUTH KOREA Lee Woo-shin; Han Sang-hoon, Kim Jin-han, Lee Ki-sup, Park Jin- young ■ LAOS K. Khounboline; W. J. Duckworth ■ MALAYSIA Malaysian Nature Society (BirdLife Partner); K. Kumar; G. Noramly, M. J. Kohler ■ MONGOLIA D. Batdelger; A. Bräunlich, N. Tseveenmyadag ■ MYANMAR Khin Ma Ma Thwin ■ NEPAL Bird Conservation Nepal (BirdLife Affiliate); H. S. Baral; C. Inskipp, T. P. Inskipp ■ PAKISTAN Ornithological Society of Pakistan (BirdLife Affiliate) ■ PHILIPPINES Haribon Foundation for Conservation of Natural Resources (BirdLife Partner); N. A. D. Mallari, B. R. Tabaranza, Jr. ■ RUSSIA Russian Bird Conservation Union (BirdLife Partner Designate); A. V. Andreev; A. G. Degtyarev, V. G. Degtyarev, V. A. Dugintsov, N. N. Gerasimov, Yu. N. Gerasimov, N. I. Germogenov, O. A. Goroshko, A. V. Kondrat’ev, Yu. V. Labutin, N. M. Litvinenko, Yu. N. Nazarov, V. A. Nechaev, V. I. Perfil’ev, R. V. Ryabtsev, Yu. V. Shibaev, S. G. Surmach, E. E. Tkachenko, O. P. Val’chuk, B. A. Voronov. ■ SINGAPORE The Nature Society (Singapore) (BirdLife Partner); Lim Kim Seng ■ SRI LANKA Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (BirdLife Affiliate); S. Kotagama; S. Aryaprema, S. Corea, J. P. G. Jones, U. Fernando, R. Perera, M. Siriwardhane, K. Weerakoon ■ THAILAND Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BirdLife Partner); U. Treesucon; R. Jugmongkol, V. Kongthong, P. Poonswad, P. D. Round, S. Supparatvikorn ■ VIETNAM BirdLife International Vietnam Country Programme; Nguyen Cu; J. C. Eames, A. W. Tordoff, Le Trong Trai, Nguyen Duc Tu. With contributions from: S. H. M. Butchart, D. S. Butler (maps), P. Davidson, J. C. Lowen, G. C. L. Dutson, N. B. Peet, T. Vetta (maps), J. M. Villasper (maps), M. G. Wilson Recommended citation BirdLife International (2001) Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International. © 2001 BirdLife International Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge, CB3 0NA, United Kingdom Tel: +44 1223 277318 Fax: +44 1223 277200 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.birdlife.net BirdLife International is a UK-registered charity All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher. ISBN 0 946888 42 6 (Part A) ISBN 0 946888 43 4 (Part B) ISBN 0 946888 44 2 (Set) British Library-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library First published 2001 by BirdLife International Designed and produced by the NatureBureau, 36 Kingfisher Court, Hambridge Road, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 5SJ, United Kingdom Available from the Natural History Book Service Ltd, 2–3 Wills Road, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5XN, UK. Tel: +44 1803 865913 Fax: +44 1803 865280 Email [email protected] Internet: www.nhbs.com/services/birdlife.html The presentation of material in this book and the geographical designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of BirdLife International concerning the legal status of any country, territory or area, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Threatened birds of Asia WETAR GROUND-DOVE Gallicolumba hoedtii Critical — Endangered A1c,d; A2c,d Vulnerable C1 This species qualifies as Endangered because its population has suffered a very rapid decline (which might reasonably be expected to continue) as a result of severe lowland habitat loss and hunting. A healthy population may survive on Wetar, but this is not certain. DISTRIBUTION The Wetar Ground-dove is known from West Timor and Wetar, Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, and Timor Loro Sae (East Timor). Records are from: ■ INDONESIA West Timor Gunung Timau, May 1999 (D. Lesmana in litt. 2000); Camplong, January 1932 (Mayr 1944); Buat, 5 km from Soe, 950 m, July 1993 (R. Noske in litt. 1999; also Noske 1995, Noske and Saleh 1996, Coates and Bishop 1997); Wetar unspecified localities, May 1866 (two specimens in RMNH), April 1901 (two specimens in AMNH, BMNH), September–October 1902 (13 specimens in AMNH, BMNH, FMNH, USNM); ■ TIMOR LORO SAE (East Timor) Same, August 1972 (White and Bruce 1986). F L O R E S WETAR S E A 4 ALOR MOA PANTAR LOMBLEN TIMOR LORO SAE (EAST TIMOR) 5 S A V U S E A 1 3 T I M O R 2 S E A WEST TIMOR ROTI The distribution of Wetar Ground-dove Gallicolumba hoedtii: (1) Gunung Timau; (2) Camplong; (3) Buat; (4) Wetar; (5) Same. Historical (pre-1950) Fairly recent (1950–1979) Recent (1980–present) 1572 Gallicolumba hoedtii POPULATION There are two subtly different interpretations of the species’s status on Timor: one that it is undoubtedly rare but possibly overlooked (Noske and Saleh 1996), and one that it is apparently uncommon but almost certainly overlooked (Coates and Bishop 1997). Observers in the 1980s, failing to find the species at Camplong, tended to support the former view (Collar and Andrew 1988). On Wetar its status is unknown; the judgement that it was “formerly... locally moderately common” (Coates and Bishop 1997) was based on the fact that among museum material is a series of eight birds (in AMNH) obtained in five days in the first half of October 1902 (K. D. Bishop in litt. 1999), and extensive forest still remains on the island (see Threats). ECOLOGY Habitat This species inhabits lowland and hill monsoon forest and woodland, to 950 m (Coates and Bishop 1997). On Timor records have been from “forest near a clearing” (White and Bruce 1986), “fairly undisturbed hill forest” (Coates and Bishop 1997), degraded forest (site of abandoned village inside primary forest) at 600 m, and moist semi-deciduous forest at 900 m (D. Lesmana verbally 2000). Food A bird was seen eating the seeds of damar merah Macaranga in a tree (D. Lesmana in litt. 2000). Like other ground-doves, however, this species must also forage on the ground, taking seeds and small invertebrates. Breeding A male from Camplong, Timor, January, was immature (Mayr 1944). Migration This species inhabits a strongly seasonal forest habitat, but it is not known to make any short-distance movements in consequence. THREATS Habitat destruction on Timor has been extensive. It has been asserted that tropical monsoon forest, judged the original forest habitat on the island, now occupies less than 4% of the vegetative cover of West Timor and is distributed among seven or so remnant and isolated patches, the largest of which covers only 90 km2, none of which is protected, and almost all of which is subject to grazing pressure of sufficient intensity as to be likely to impede regeneration (Noske and Saleh 1996). Grazing and burning are probably having a serious effect on the habitat of a terrestrial species such as this (F. R. Lambert in litt. 1999). In Timor Loro Sae (East Timor) there is little information on the current state of forests. As long ago as 1932 the last major collecting visit had anticipated important discoveries in “the previously unexplored high mountains of eastern Timor”, only to discover that “villages occur up to... 2300 meters, and the forests have, therefore, entirely disappeared from the mountains” (Mayr 1944). Although this report is at complete variance with the 37% forest cover reported for the early 1980s (see further), there are more recent reports that in the period 1975–1999 large areas of forest were burnt and chemically destroyed, 200,000 transmigrants were settled in the state, increasing unsustainable slash-and-burn farming, and forest cover apparently declined from 37% as mapped by RePPProT in the early 1980s to 15% in the mid-1990s—a decline of over 50% in under 15 years (Down to Earth 42 [1999]: 1–3). This evidence is supported by Ora (2000), who reported that “according to the Forestry Department [Kantor Wilayah Departemen Kehutanan] of the province of East Timor (1999), the forest potential of East Timor is now in a critical condition, with a forest area of 97,065 ha [970km2] (13.87%), scrub 202,305 ha (28.91%) and ‘empty land’ 400,452 ha (57.22%)” (translation: C.