Hirundo rustica | UAE National Red List of Birds

Taxa
Hirundo rustica | Linnaeus, 1758
Publication
UAE National Red List of Birds
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Birds
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species is a common migrant and winter visitor in the UAE (Pedersen et al. 2017). Numbers are highest between February and May and between July and November, but occurrences have been recorded year-round (Richardson 1990, Pedersen et al. 2017). In the past, it may occasionally have bred in Ras al-Khaimah (Richardson 1990). Currently, there is no conclusive evidence of breeding attempts (Jennings 2010); however, the observation of five juveniles in Ras al-Khaimah in May 2019 suggests that the species is possibly breeding there (R. Khan (Dubai Safari, Dubai Municipality) pers. comm. 2019).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species prefers open country such as cultivated farmland with buildings and settlements, large gardens and moist areas (Richardson 1990, Aspinall and Porter 2011). During migration, it occupies almost any area and habitat type (Aspinall and Porter 2011). The species is gregarious. Generally, it feeds almost entirely on flying insects (Snow and Perrins 1998). While it has been suggested that the species has occasionally bred in Ras al-Khaimah, there is no clear evidence of a breeding population in the UAE (Richardson 1990, Jennings 2010).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Least Concern
Assessment status abreviation
LC
Assessment rationale/justification
The non-breeding population of this species within the UAE is small enough to trigger a listing as Vulnerable under Criterion D1. However, the movement habits of this species, with individuals moving fairly widely in the non-breeding season make estimating the over-wintering population size for this species is particularly difficult, and it is plausible that this could be an underestimating the number of individuals that visit the country in winter. The breeding population in the Arabian Peninsula is believed to be stable, and the population within the UAE is also suspected to be stable. Therefore, given the movement habits of this species, and its relative abundance during migration a regional adjustment has been made to drop down two categories, and so the species is listed here as Least Concern.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2019
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
Within the UAE, Aspinall (1996) identified no threats, although artificial habitats that favour this species within the UAE may be transient, so monitoring of such habitats will be important. Visiting individuals do face a range of threats outside of the country, the main threat of which is the intensification of agriculture. Changes in farming practices such as the abandonment of traditional milk and beef production have resulted in a loss of suitable foraging areas. In addition, intensive livestock rearing, improved hygiene, land drainage and the use of herbicides and pesticides all reduce the numbers of insect prey available. Suitable nest sites are often scarcer on modern farms. The species is susceptible to changes in climate with bad weather in the wintering areas as well as the breeding grounds affecting breeding success (Tucker and Heath 1994). Outside of the UAE, it is occasionally hunted for sport and nests are sometimes removed as a nuisance.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
It is assessed that in 1996, the national Red List status of this species would have been the same as in this assessment.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Hirundo rustica Animalia Chordata Aves Passeriformes Hirundinidae Hirundo