What's new (2008)

Chris Kelly Spoon-billed Sandpiper has been uplisted to Critically Endangered in the 2008 IUCN Red List update Zoom In

During 2007-2008, the status of all 9,990 species of bird recognised by BirdLife International was checked against the IUCN Red List criteria. This led to 166 species having their status actively reviewed and discussed in the Globally Threatened Bird discussion forums on BirdLife's website, resulting in the IUCN Red List category being revised for a number of these. In addition, a number of taxonomic changes were incorporated. In total, 147 species have changed category. The table below gives the totals in each IUCN Red List category since 2000. The relatively small net changes to the totals mask the fact that 226 species moved between categories in 2000-2004, 99 species in 2004-2005, 150 in 2005-2006, 81 in 2006-2007 and 147 in 2007-2008 (see below). These include category revisions owing to improved knowledge and taxonomic changes, as well as genuine changes in status. Therefore, it is difficult to interpret the changes in absolute totals. Instead, it is better to examine trends in the Red List Index, which shows graphically the net changes to the overall projected extinction risk of the world’s birds from 1988 to 2008.

Species changing IUCN Red List

The table below lists all 147 species whose IUCN Red List category was revised in May 2008 for the 2008 IUCN Red List. An explanation of the category codes and 'Reason for change' terms follows the table. Of the 147 category changes, 26 resulted from a genuine change in the status of species (2 improvements versus 24 deteriorations), 42 were a result of improved knowledge (of the status of species or the threats impacting them) and 38 resulted from taxonomic revisions (either recently published or recently evaluated/re-evaluated by BirdLife). Full explanations for the taxonomic changes are given in the Taxonomic notes field on the species factsheets, which are available through the Datazone.

IUCN Red List categories

Reason for change

This is a code assigned by BirdLife whenever a species's IUCN Red List Category is changed. The codes are:

Genuine (recent)

The change in category is the result of a genuine status change that has taken place since the last complete assessment. For example, the change is due to an increase in the rate of decline, a decrease in population or range size or habitat, or declines in these for the first time (owing to increasing/new threats) and therefore new thresholds are met relating to the IUCN Red List criteria.

Genuine (since first assessment)

The change in category is the result of a genuine status change that took place prior to the last complete assessment, but since the first complete assessment (1988) and that has only just been detected owing to new information/ documentation. If this new information had been available earlier, the new category would have been assigned during the previous assessment(s).

Criteria revision

The change in category is the result of the revision of the IUCN Red List Criteria (currently 1994 v. 2001 versions). These largely relate to criteria A2, A3, A4, D2 and the removal of the 'Conservation Dependent' category.

Knowledge

The change in category is the result of better knowledge, e.g. owing to new or newly synthesised information or better understanding of application of the IUCN Red List criteria.

Taxonomy

The new category is different from the previous one (which may be 'Not Recognised') owing to a taxonomic change adopted during the period since the previous assessment. Such changes include: newly split (the taxon is newly elevated to species level), newly described (the taxon is newly described as a species), newly lumped (the taxon is newly lumped with another species) and no longer valid/recognised (either the taxon is no longer valid e.g. because it is now considered to be a hybrid or variant, form or subspecies of another species, or the previously recognised taxon differs from a currently recognised one as a result of a split or lump).

Mistake

The previous category was applied in error (excluding those cases covered under Knowledge).

Other

The change in category is the result of other reasons not easily covered by the above, and/or requires further explanation.

Related Links

• 2008 Red List category changes (.xls, 55 KB)
• 2007 Red List category changes (.xls, 57 KB)
• 2006 Red List category changes (.xls, 29 KB)
• 2005 Red List category changes (.xls, 33 KB)
• 2000-2004 Red List category changes (Word doc, 254 KB)