Platalea leucorodia | UAE National Red List of Birds

Taxa
Platalea leucorodia | 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
The majority of occurrences of this species within the UAE are likely to be of wintering birds and migrant individuals on passage to and from the breeding grounds (Pedersen et al. 2017). The highest numbers have been recorded between August and May, when the species is fairly common to common close to the coast (Richardson 1990, Pedersen et al. 2017). Non-breeding groups regularly stay over summer in the UAE (Pedersen et al. 2017).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species is restricted to coastal areas, where it inhabits sheltered lagoons, shallow pools, marshes, salt pans and mudflats (Richardson 1990, Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It does not occur at waterbodies further inland (Jennings 2010). It feeds in shallow water by sweeping the open bill through the water while moving forward (Jennings 2010). There is no information available about its diet in the UAE; elsewhere it takes insects, molluscs, crustaceans, worms, leeches, frogs, tadpoles and small fish up to 10-15 cm long, algae or small fragments of aquatic plants (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Hancock et al. 1992). It is most active during the morning and evening, although in coastal areas it forages at low tide regardless of the time of day (Hancock et al. 1992). The species is migratory; it breeds during spring in small colonies in central Asia, before migrating in flocks of up to 100 individuals to the wintering grounds in Arabia, Africa and India (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Jennings 2010).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Vulnerable
Assessment status abreviation
VU
Assessment status criteria
D1
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a very small non-breeding population in the UAE, which qualifies it for listing as Endangered. The population is stable within the region. Conditions outside of the UAE are considered unlikely to deteriorate, and it was considered Least Concern for the Arabian Peninsula (although assessed as NT before downlisting), so there is a potentially a rescue effect from individuals outside of the region. Therefore, the species has undergone an adjustment down by one category to Vulnerable at the national level.
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
The most relevant threats within UAE are changes in coastal land-use and the possibility of oil pollution, but the severity of these threats towards this species is unknown.Individuals of this species that visit UAE are also potentially threatened by a range of threats that operate outside of the country. These external threats include habitat degradation through drainage and pollution (e.g. chlorinated hydrocarbons); the species is especially affected by the disappearance of reed swamps due to agricultural and hydroelectric development (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Hancock et al. 1992). Over-fishing and disturbance have caused population declines in Greece, and human exploitation of eggs and nestlings for food has threatened the species in the past (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Hancock et al. 1992). Poaching and collisions with overhead electricity cables are the main non-natural causes of death during migration (Triplet et al. 2008).;The species is also susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus (Melville and Shortridge 2006).
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
Considered Endangered in 1996 based on similar population size, downlisted by one step to VU.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Platalea leucorodia Animalia Chordata Aves Pelecaniformes Threskiornithidae Platalea