Evolution of extinction risk and current conservation status of Colombian birds

Abstract

Periodic assessment of extinction risk is fundamental to monitor progress or regression on species conservation status. We analyzed changes through time in red lists and red data books in Colombia in terms of evaluation systems, methods, and species composition. All five assessments used the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) system. Methods have progressed notably, from assessments 100% based on expert knowledge to assessments that use sophisticated analytical tools together with expert knowledge. A total of 62, 81, 89, 112 and 140 species were threatened in the years 1986, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2016, respectively. Comparing assessments conducted in 2002 and 2016, the proportion of species in a category of threat under criterion A (rapid population decline) has declined; it is stable under criterion B (small, fragmented, and declining distribution), and has increased under criterion C (small and declining population). Agriculture, livestock farming, hunting and illegal trade, as well as illicit crops, are the most significant direct threats currently affecting 55%, 44%, 32%, and 31% of the species, respectively. This set of threats taken together suggests that the main direct threat for birds is the weakness of State control inin the country’s territories. The families Psittacidae, Grallariidae, and Cracidae are particularly sensitive. Future assessments will benefit with new information on population densities in different habitat types, and suitability gradients, as well as high-quality georeferencing records, and exploration of regions with low levels of ornithological knowledge. © 2017. Acad. Colomb. Cienc. Ex. Fis. Nat.