Actenoides bougainvillei Rothschild, 1904

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Range Description:

Actenoides bougainvillei is endemic to the island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea (del Hoyo et al. 2001, Fry and Fry 1999, Dutson 2011). There are a few specimens, the last taken in 1938 (Mayr 1945, Cain and Galbraith 1956), and then no records until the 1980s. It is very unobtrusive and crepuscular and likely to be overlooked unless the call is known. Calls believed to be of this species were heard in 1986 on the edge of lowland swamp-forest near Arawa (Bishop 1987) and a pair was reportedly watched at a nest-hole in the 1980s (K.D.Bishop in litt. 1983).

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Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/22726874

Subspecies and Distribution:

    * bougainvillei (Rothschild, 1904) - Bougainville (N Solomons). * excelsus (Mayr, 1941) - Guadalcanal (S Solomons).
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Rights holder/AuthorKaterina Tvardikova
Sourcehttp://pngbirds.myspecies.info/node/793

Habitat and Ecology:

Habitat and Ecology

Likely to be restricted to the interior of montane old-growth forest, with a recent record from 800 m (Dutson 2011), although calls thought to belong to the species have been reported from lowland swamp-forest (Bishop 1987). Very little is known about the species. There is a report of nesting in an arboreal termitarium (Mayr 1945, K.D.Bishop in litt. 1983, del Hoyo et al. 2001).

Systems

  • Terrestrial
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Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/22726874

Large insect, including stick-insect, also frogs.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorKaterina Tvardikova
Sourcehttp://pngbirds.myspecies.info/node/793

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorKaterina Tvardikova
Sourcehttp://pngbirds.myspecies.info/content/actenoides-bougainvillei

IUCN Red List Assessment:
Red List Category

EN
Endangered

Red List Criteria

C2a(ii)

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2014

Assessor/s

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s

Butchart, S.

Contributor/s

Bishop, K., Dutson, G. & Gibbs, D.

Justification

This spectacular species is judged to be Endangered on the basis of a very small estimated population which is suspected to be declining, at least in part of its range. However, further research may reveal it to be more common.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/22726874

Vulnerable

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Rights holder/AuthorKaterina Tvardikova
Sourcehttp://pngbirds.myspecies.info/content/actenoides-bougainvillei

Population:

Population

The population is estimated to number 250-999 mature individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size. This is consistent with recorded population density estimates for congeners or close relatives with a similar body size, and the fact that only a proportion of the estimated Extent of Occurrence is likely to be occupied. This estimate is equivalent to 375-1,499 individuals in total, rounded here to 350-1,500 individuals.

Population Trend

Decreasing
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/22726874

Range Description:

Actenoides bougainvillei has two subspecies: bougainvillei on Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, and excelsa on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. There are a few specimens from Bougainville, the last taken in 1938, and three from Guadalcanal, the last taken in 19533,8, and then no definite records until 1994. It is very unobtrusive and crepuscular and is liable to have been overlooked unless the call is known. In 1994 and 1997, it was found to be frequent in montane forest above the abandoned Betilonga village on Guadalcanal. Calls were heard from up to six locations from a camp at 1,500 m. If each call relates to a different bird, then the local density was 75 calling birds per km2, but much forest at this altitude is unsuitable for this species4,5,6. No other montane sites have been visited on Guadalcanal. On Bougainville, calls believed to be of this species were heard in 1986 on the edge of lowland swamp-forest near Arawa1 and a pair was reportedly watched at a nest-hole in the late 1980s2.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/Author© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/106001135

Threats:

Major Threats

As a hole-nesting species, it is potentially threatened by introduced predators (Leary 1991). Lowlands have been partially logged and heavy logging is likely to recommence once the island re-opens to commercial exploitation, however the species is thought most likely to inhabit montane forest.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/22726874
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith