Population trends, size, and potential threats to Bristle-thighed Curlew Numenius tahitiensis: new data from French Polynesia

Based on censuses in 2021 and 2022 of Bristle-thighed Curlews Numenius tahitiensis on 10 atolls of French Polynesia, the species has declined by c.50% over the last two decades. While the species has recently been down-listed from “Vulnerable” to “Near Threatened”, these new data would qualify it fo...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Bird conservation international 2023-05, Vol.33, Article e62
Main Author:	Jiguet, Frédéric
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Atolls Breeding Breeding sites Climate change Exploitation Land use Numenius Numenius tahitiensis Pets Population Population decline Population studies Predation Research Article Threatened species Trends
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Based on censuses in 2021 and 2022 of Bristle-thighed Curlews Numenius tahitiensis on 10 atolls of French Polynesia, the species has declined by c.50% over the last two decades. While the species has recently been down-listed from “Vulnerable” to “Near Threatened”, these new data would qualify it for an “Endangered” Red List status. The non-breeding population on Tuamotu numbers approximately 1,000 curlews and up to 1,500 individuals in all of Eastern Polynesia. On uninhabited islands, the expansion of copra (coconut pulp) exploitation has caused long-term disturbance for curlews, increased predation by pet dogs, and introduced or reinforced non-native rat populations. Climate change, particularly sea-level rise, will add to changes in land use that shrink the suitable habitat for Bristle-thighed Curlews in French Polynesia. As this study shows, obtaining population trends for species breeding in remote areas may best be achieved through surveys at key non-breeding sites.
ISSN:	0959-2709 1474-0001