IUCN Red List of waders

Recently the IUCN released their new list of Red Data life forms. Among those are a disturbingly high number of waders. About 30% of all wader species are classified as Near Threatened (35), Vulnerable (10), Endangered (10), Critically Endangered (7), Extinct (6) or Data Deficient (1).

Of those considered Critically Endangered it is highly likely that four of them (Jerdon's Courser, Javan Lapwing, Slender-billed and Eskimo Curlew) are now also extinct making the extinct wader list slip into double figures.

Black-tailed Godwit: Elis Simpson

It is shocking to see so many of what in my youth were considered common species on the list of Near Threatened species; Northern Lapwing, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Red Knot, Red-necked Stint and Semipalmated Sandpiper.

If there is any good news to come out of the latest list it is that one of the rarest birds in the world, the St Helena Plover or 'Wirebird' has been moved from Critically Endangered to Vulnerable; this despite the pressures that it has been facing with reduction in sheep grazing and a new airport. This better news is a result of the work being carried out to create new habitat for the bird which seems to have been rather successful as the adult population has grown slightly and has remained higher than 250 individuals since 2007.

Javan Lapwing: Elis Simpson BNHM

Here are the waders on the list:

Extinct

Canarian Black Oystercatcher     Christmas Sandpiper     Moorea Sandpiper     Tahiti Sandpiper     North Island Snipe     South Island Snipe     

Critically Endangered

Black Stilt     Jerdon's Courser     Sociable Lapwing     Javan Lapwing     Eskimo Curlew     Slender-billed Curlew
Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Endangered

Shore Plover: Elis Simpson

Australian Painted-Snipe     Chatham Island Oystercatcher      Southern Red-breasted Plover     Shore Plover     Obi Woodcock     Tuamotu Sandpiper    Nordmann's Greenshank Eastern Curlew     Great Knot     Plains Wanderer   


Vulnerable

Wrybill: Elis Simpson

Madagascar Pratincole     Madagascar Plover     St Helena Plover    Wrybill     Hooded Plover     Amami Woodcock     Bristle-thighed Curlew     Chatham Island Snipe     Madagascar Snipe      Wood Snipe

Near Threatened

Diademed Sandpiper-Plover: Elis Simpson

Madagascar Jacana     Eurasian Oystercatcher     African Black Oystercatcher     Great Thick-knee     Beach Thick-knee     Black-winged Pratincole     River Lapwing     Northern Lapwing     Northern Red-breasted Plover Piping Plover     Javan Plover     Snowy Plover Malaysian Plover     Chestnut-banded Plover     Mountain Plover Diademed Sandpiper-Plover    Magellanic Plover     Bar-tailed Godwit     Black-tailed Godwit     Eurasian Curlew     Grey-tailed Tattler     Javan Woodcock    Sulawesi Woodcock     Great Snipe     Noble Snipe Fuegian Snipe      Imperial Snipe     Subantarctic Snipe     Asian Dowitcher     Red Knot     Semipalmated Sandpiper      Red-necked Stint     Curlew Sandpiper     Buff-breasted Sandpiper     

White-faced Plover: Elis Simpson

Data Deficient

White-faced Plover