Bird species classed as Near-Threatened in IUCN Red List

NB. The classification Near-Threatened (NT), is summarised as follows on the Red List website: "A taxon is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated against the criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future."

Yellow-legged Tinamou – Crypturellus noctivagus- Jaó-do-litoral
Extract from Red List citation: The nominate race occurs from south Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul, with an apparent stronghold in remnant lowland forest (0-300 m) in south São Paulo and east Paraná. It is now restricted to only a few Atlantic forest sites, but appears to have always been scarce or rare in the south of its range...It suffers from widespread and continuing habitat destruction and hunting pressure throughout its range, but can survive in degraded and secondary forest.

Solitary Tinamou - Tinamus Solitarius - Macuco
Extract from Birdlife International citation: Tinamus solitarius occurs in the Atlantic forest of east Brazil (Pernambuco to Rio Grande do Sul and inland to south Mato Grosso), south-east Paraguay and extreme north-east Argentina. The nominate race is rare throughout its range owing to hunting pressure and habitat loss, although it is still relatively common in several protected areas. It is mostly found in lowland humid forest up to 1,200 m, preferring intact closed-canopy forest with little undergrowth. It is supposedly susceptible to forest fragmentation (each bird apparently requiring c.30 ha of primary forest), but there is a notable Paraguayan population in a small area of degraded forest, and it is seen regularly in secondary forest at one site in Argentina. Current key threats are illegal hunting, urbanisation, industrialisation, agricultural expansion, colonisation and associated road-building.


Saw-billed hermit – Ramphodon naevius -- Beija-flor-rajado
Extract from Red List citation: Ramphodon naevius is relatively common in lowland Atlantic forest and second growth, in south-east Brazil (Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais to Rio Grande do Sul), to 900 m. Agricultural conversion and deforestation for mining and plantation production historically threatened its lowland forest habitats. Current key threats are urbanisation, industrialisation, agricultural expansion, colonisation and associated road-building.

Saffron Toucanet – Baillonius bailloni -- Araçari-banana
Extract from Red List citation: Baillonius bailloni occurs in lowland and montane Atlantic forests of south-east Brazil, east Paraguay and north-east Argentina. In Brazil, it is most common in montane regions (up to 1,550 m) of Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais to Rio Grande do Sul, but also occurs in Pernambuco, and has been re-introduced into ex-Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro. .. A recent survey of 24 forest fragments in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Mato Grosso do Sul, only found the species in the largest fragment (Paranapiacaba, 1,400 km2). Surveys showed that the encounter rate at this site had declined by 47.5% between 1987-1991 and 1998. If such declines are mirrored in the northern part of its range, and in eastern Paraguay and north-east Argentina, then its status would have to be re-evaluated. It is less conspicuous than other toucans in the same region, and may be more easily overlooked. There is an illegal cage-bird trade, hunting and significant habitat loss.

White-breasted Tapaculo – Scytalopus indigoticus -- Macuquinho
Extract from Red List citation: Scytalopus indigoticus is rare to locally relatively common in coastal east Brazil: east-central Bahia, west Espírito Santo, east Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, south São Paulo, east Paraná and Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul. It inhabits humid forest understoreys, edges and second growth below 1,000 m, but in the north of its range it occurs exclusively in foothill forest. It must have suffered from the large-scale destruction and fragmentation of forest within its elevational and geographic range.

Spot-breasted Antvireo–Dysithamnus  stictothorax-- Choquinha-de-peito-pintado
Extract from Red List citation: Dysithamnus stictothorax occurs in south-east Brazil (Bahia south to Santa Catarina) and north-east Argentina (Misiones, from where there are only three records) at elevations up to 1,200 m. It inhabits tropical lowland evergreen and montane evergreen forest with vines, where it can be common. Agricultural conversion and deforestation for mining and plantation production historically threatened its lowland forests. Current key threats are urbanisation, industrialisation, agricultural expansion, colonisation and associated road-building.

Unicolored Antwren – Myrmotherula unicolor-- Choquinha-cinzenta
(Formerly classed as Vulnerable)
Extract from Red List citation: Myrmotherula unicolor is largely restricted to the lower slopes and coastal plain seaward of the Serra do Mar in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, with records also from Santa Catarina, south-east Brazil... There are historical records from Paraná and extreme north Rio Grande do Sul. It inhabits both undisturbed and second growth humid forest, with a canopy height of 8-10 m and an abundance of vines and suspended dead leaves in the undergrowth. Although it reaches elevations of 500 m, most records are below 200 m. It frequently associates with mixed-species flocks. Virtually all lowland Atlantic forest outside protected areas has been deforested within its historical range, and even some of the reserves where it occurs are not secure...  Based on the discovery of additional localities and an improved understanding of its range and status, the population is now estimated to exceed 10,000 individuals, and to be declining <30% in 10 years/3 generations ... and this species has therefore been downlisted to Near Threatened.

São Paulo Tyrannulet - Phylloscartes paulista - Não-pode-parar
(previously classed as Vulnerable)

Extract from Red List citation. Phylloscartes paulista occurs in south-east Brazil, east Paraguay and north-east Argentina. In Brazil, it is found in the Atlantic forests of Espírito Santo south to Santa Catarina, and is considered fairly common in some protected areas, including the "Paranapiacaba fragment" (the 120,000 ha mosaic of Alto Ribeira, Intervales and Carlos Botelho state parks) and the Ilha do Cardoso in São Paulo and Iguaçu in Paraná. Due to its inconspicuous voice, its presence is likely to be overlooked, and it probably has a continuous distribution along the slopes of the Serra do Mar and Serra de Paranapicaba massifs at least between southern Rio de Janeiro (Parati) and Paraná. Less than 20% of the original extent of this habitat remains intact owing to agricultural conversion and deforestation for coffee, banana and rubber plantations. Remaining forest suffers from increasing urbanisation, agricultural expansion and associated road building, but habitat destruction in the Brazilian range of the species has slowed significantly (although continuing in places), and the prospects of future losses are not as dire as in the last decades. Also, the species is known to use second growth, making it less vulnerable to the loss of mature forest.


Grey-capped Tyrannulet - Phyllomyias griseocapilla - Piolhinho-serrano.
Extract from Red List citation: Phyllomyias griseocapilla occurs in south-east Brazil (east Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo to east Santa Catarina) at 750-1,850 m. It is uncommon to relatively common, but patchily distributed, in the borders of lowland and montane evergreen forest, and shrubby clearings with scattered trees. Agricultural conversion and deforestation for mining and plantation production historically threatened its lowland forests. Current key threats are urbanisation, industrialisation, agricultural expansion, colonisation and associated road-building.

 Eye-ringed tody-tyrant – Hemitriccus orbitatus -- Tiririzinho-do-mato
Extract from Red List citation: Hemitriccus orbitatus occurs in south-east Brazil (Espírito Santo, south Minas Gerais and São Paulo to north-east Rio Grande do Sul), typically up to 600 m, occasionally to 1,000 m. It is locally uncommon to relatively common in the lower and middle growth of lowland evergreen forest and mature secondary woodland. Agricultural conversion and deforestation for mining and plantation production historically threatened its habitat. Current key threats are urbanisation, industrialisation, agricultural expansion, colonisation and associated road-building.

Swallow-tailed Cotinga - Phibalura flavirostris - Tesourinha-da-mata.

Extract from Red List citation: Phibalura flavirostris occurs in south-east Brazil (from Bahia and central Minas Gerais south to Rio Grande do Sul; also in south Goiás, perhaps as an austral migrant), north-east Argentina (Misiones, three sites but no records since 1977), east Paraguay(Canindeyú, Alto Paraná, Guairá and possibly Itapúa, but only four records and none since 1977) and Bolivia (two specimens from the foothills of La Paz and another specimen lacking locality data). It is apparently an austral migrant (at least to some extent), occurring in Rio Grande do Sul only during the austral summer, and an altitudinal migrant, nesting in montane regions and descending during the austral winter. It is locally uncommon in Itatiaia National Park, on the Rio de Janeiro/Minas Gerais border, at Intervales State Park, São Paulo, and at Caraça, Minas Gerais, but is generally rare and has apparently declined for reasons that are unclear.  Extensive deforestation within its range has presumably had some impact, but its preference for forest borders, partially or lightly wooded areas, and clearings and gardens with scattered trees (where it often nests) suggests that it can tolerate some habitat degradation. 


Green-chinned Euphonia - Euphonia chalybea - Cais-Cais
Extract from Red List citation: Euphonia chalybea is (at least locally) fairly common in the Atlantic forests of south-east Brazil (Rio de Janeiro south to Rio Grande do Sul), east Paraguay (recently in Canindeyú, Alto Paraná, Caazapá and Itapuá, with historical records from Amambay, and north-east Argentina (Corrientes and Misiones). It occurs sparsely in lowland forest, forest edge and overgrown plantations to 500 m, and has been recorded feeding (perhaps predominantly) on cactus fruits (probably epiphytic) and mistletoes. It has presumably declined substantially with the extensive loss of Atlantic forest to agriculture and mining, with current key threats from urbanisation, industrialisation, agricultural expansion, colonisation and associated road-building.

Azure-shouldered tanager – Thraupis cyanoptera - Sanhaço-de-encontro-azul
Extract from Red List citation: Thraupis cyanoptera occurs in south-east Brazil(Espírito Santo and east Minas Gerais south to north Rio Grande do Sul, mostly on the coastal slopes of the Serra do Mar) at 200-1,200 m, occasionally to 1,600 m and Paraguay. Reports from other localities almost certainly refer to Sayaca Tanager T. sayaca. It is uncommon to fairly common, but local, in the canopy and borders of montane and lowland evergreen forest and second growth. Agricultural conversion and deforestation for mining and plantation production are historic threats to its lowland forests. Current key threats are urbanisation, industrialisation, agricultural expansion, colonisation and associated road-building.

Azure Jay – Cyanocorax caeruleus - Gralha-azul
Extract from Red List citation: Cyanocorax caeruleus occurs in south-east Brazil(south São Paulo south to Rio Grande do Sul), north-east Argentina(Misiones and north Corrientes), and there is (at least) one credible record for Paraguay. It is rare to locally common up to 1,000 m in lowland evergreen, southern temperate, white-sand and secondary forest and, at least seasonally, is most numerous in Araucaria forest. Populations have apparently declined substantially, particularly in the west of its range, and is now most common in south-east Brazil. Agricultural conversion and deforestation for mining and plantation production historically threaten its habitat, with current key threats from urbanisation, industrialisation, agricultural expansion, colonisation and associated road-building.