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PRIORITY TAXA LIST

The IUCN SSC ASTSG maintains a priority taxa list. The objective is to highlight the most threatened songbird taxa impacted by trade in Asia (with the main focus currently on the passerines of Southeast Asia). This list serves as a crucial tool to guide conservation interventions, research priorities and funding efforts aimed at mitigating the impacts of the songbird trade. The IUCN SSC ASTSG is using a Taxa List (instead of Species List) to recognise distinct conservation units (subspecies and subpopulations) threatened by trade, even if they are not threatened at the species level or are not officially recognised to be a separate species. It is worth noting that research and monitoring of all songbird taxa remains important to flag any changes in the status and therefore identify urgent conservation actions, even if a species is not currently on the priority list.

To be included in the list, each taxon must meet the following criteria:

  1.  Trade is/has been a main threat to the survival of the taxon - this list therefore excludes threatened taxa encountered in trade if their primary threat is something else;

  2. Populations of the taxon are known or believed to be declining, experiencing local extirpations, or already very rare in the wild - this list therefore excludes taxa traded at sustainable levels;

  3. Taxon do not currently have significant established introduced populations outside its natural range - this list therefore excludes taxa not at risk of extinction globally.

 

Two tiers differentiate how serious the situation for each taxon is:

  •  Tier 1 – Taxa survival is urgently impacted by trade; high priority for conservation actions as extinction may be imminent if no conservation actions are taken.

  • Tier 2 – Evidence that wild populations are threatened by trade, but impacts on wild populations are not as urgent or severe as Tier 1.

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The list will be updated periodically as new evidence becomes available and /or there are taxonomy changes.

Tier 1 - Urgently impacted by trade; high conservation priority

COMMON NAME                         SCIENTIFIC NAME                              EXPLANATION & RELEVANT REFERENCES   

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Black-winged Myna

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Grey-rumped Myna

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Grey-backed Myna

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Brown-cheeked Bulbul

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Javan Leafbird
 

Sumatran Leafbird
 

Greater Green Leafbird
 

Blue-masked Leafbird


 

Javan Green Magpie
 

Maratua Shama
 

Kangean Shama

 

Larwo Shama

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White-rumped Shama
(Simeulue)
 

White-rumped Shama
(Nias, Mentawai)

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​White-rumped Shama
(Panaitan)

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White-rumped Shama
(Pulau Langkawi)​
 

​White-rumped Shama
(Babi, Lasia)

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White-rumped Shama
(Pulau Banyak)
 

Oriental Magpie Robin
(East Java/Bali)

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Javan Jungle Flycatcher

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Orange-breasted Laughingthrush

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Sumatran Laughingthrush

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Sunda Laughingthrush
(Sumatra)
 

Rufus-fronted Laughingthrush
(West Java)
 

Rufus-fronted Laughingthrush (Gunung Slamet)

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Orange-headed Thrush
(Java/Bali subspecies)

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Mentawai Hill Myna
 

Enggano Hill Myna
 

Simeulue Hill Myna
 

Nias Hill Myna
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Tenggara Hill Myna

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Javan Pied Starling

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Brown Shrike

(migrant to Indonesia)

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Sumatran Mesia

(Central Sumatra)

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Sumatran Mesia

(Aceh)

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Van Hasselt's Sunbird

(SEA)

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Bali Starling

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Horsfield's Bushlark

(Java)

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Horsfield's Bushlark

(Nusa Tenggara)
 

Crested Jay

(Java)

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Javan Scimitar Babbler

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Black-throated Laughingthrush (South Vietnam)​​

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Aceh Bulbul

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Straw-headed Bulbul

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Javan White-eye

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Sangkar White-eye

(grey-bellied West Java)

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Sangkar White-eye

(yellow East and Central Java)

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Sangkar White-eye

(grey-bellied Sumatra)​

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Wangi-wangi White-eye

Acridotheres melanopterus melanopterus

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Acridotheres melanopterus tertius

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Acridotheres melanopterus tricolor

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Alophoixus bres

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Chloropsis cochinchinensis
 

Chloropsis media
 

Chloropsis sonnerati
 

Chloropsis venusta
 

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Cissa thalassina
 

Copsychus [malabaricus] barbouri

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Copsychus [malabaricus] nigricauda

 

Copsychus [malabaricus] omissa
( also includes javana)

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Copsychus malabaricus hypolizus
 

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Copsychus malabaricus melanurus

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Copsychus malabaricus mirabalis

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Copsychus malabaricus ngae

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Copsychus malabaricus opisthochra

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Copsychus malabaricus ssp
 

 

Copsychus saularis amoenus

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Cyornis banyumas

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Garrulax annamensis

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Garrulax bicolor

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Garrulax palliatus palliatus
 

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Garrulax rufifrons rufifrons

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Garrulax rufifrons slametensis
 

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Geokichla citrina rubecula
 

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Gracula [religiosa] batuensis

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Gracula [religiosa] enganensis
 

Gracula [religiosa] miotera
 

Gracula [religiosa] robusta
 

Gracula venerata
 

Gracupica jalla


 

Lanius cristatus superciliosus



 

Leiothrix (argentauris) laurinae

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Leiothrix (argentauris) rookmakeri
 

 

Leptocoma brasiliana brasiliana



 

Leucopsar rothschildi
 

Mirafra javanica javanica
 

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Mirafra javanica parva
 

 

Platylophus galericulatus galericulatus
 

Pomatorhinus (montanus) montanus

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Pterorhinus chinensis germani

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Pycnonotus snouckaerti

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Pycnonotus zeylanicus

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Zosterops flavus

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Zosterops melanurus buxtoni


 

Zosterops melanurus melanurus

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Zosterops melanurus sumatranus

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Zosterops paruhbesar

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade

IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Bruslund et al (2021)

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone 

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade

IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

Uplisted to Tier 1. Sightings in the wild dropped dramatically in Sumatran birding sites where previously easily seen, suggesting local extirpations. Emerging and targeted demand - large numbers observed in Pramuka recently (high hundreds); some birdkeeping groups focus exclusively on this species.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Berryman (2023),
Wu et al (2022)
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade. The taxa previously recognized as C.m.javana has been merged under omissa.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
 

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Amey (2021), Wu et al (2022)

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu & Rheindt (2022), Wu et al (2022)

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)
 

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade

IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade

IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Irham et al (2022)

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New listing on Tier 1. Now extremely rare; firm candidate for urgent conservation actions. Disappeared from most known birding sites in the wild. Very limited distribution. Assessed EN on Red List. Evidence of international trade demand.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Thang et al (2024)

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Heinrich et al (2021)
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Ng et al (2021)
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade

IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Ng et al (2021)
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Ng et al (2021)
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Amey (2021), Bruslund et al (2021
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, van Balen & Collar (2021),
Nijman et al (2021)

 

Uplisted to Tier 1. Now extremely rare; firm candidate for urgent conservation actions. Strongly suspected to be due to trapping from overwintering grounds in Java (Brown Shrikes on the whole are recorded in large numbers in trade), rather than habitat loss as previously thought. Now so rare that this subspecies has no longer been recorded in trade or wild.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Collar & Wirth (2022)
 

 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Collar & Wirth (2022)
 

 

This taxa has been updated to specifically refer to brasiliana and uplisted to Tier 1. Evidenced signicant declines in the wild. Concerning declines recorded across Indonesia and in some birding sites where previously common. Massive growth in demand especially in Indonesia (thousands recorded in markets and in seizures) and gaining popularity in Thailand.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, FLIGHT (2023)
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)
 

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Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)
 

New listing on Tier 1. Now extremely rare in wild and continues to decline. Particularly vulnerable to trapping for trade in its range.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Shepherd et al (2023)
 

Uplisted to Tier 1. Extremely rare in wild now, continues to decline in known birding sites. Recent field surveys only found a single record; birders report sometimes not a single sighting per year. Continued demand from trade; targeted by poachers.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, CITES (2022)
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, van Balen et al (2023)
 

Split; subspecies assessed separately. Species overall assessed to be experiencing population declines and traded heavily (thousands). This Javanese subspecies continues to face heavy trapping pressure.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

Split; subspecies assessed separately. Species overall assessed to be experiencing population declines and traded heavily (thousands). This Javanese subspecies continues to face heavy trapping pressure.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

Split; subspecies assessed separately. Species overall assessed to be experiencing population declines and traded heavily (thousands). Vast reduction in sightings of this subspecies at the regular submontane Sumatra birding sites. Large numbers of this subspecies recorded in Jakarta markets, even outnumbering buxtoni.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone
 

Faces continued and urgent threat from trade
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Irham et al (2023)

Tier 2 - Threatened by trade

COMMON NAME                           SCIENTIFIC NAME                           EXPLANATION & RELEVANT REFERENCES   

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Grey-cheeked Bulbul
 

Indochinese Green Magpie

(Central and North Vietnam)


 

White-crowned Shama

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White-rumped Shama
(Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, West Java)

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Oriental Magpie-robin
(Sabah)

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Oriental Magpie-robin
(East, north, south Kalimantan, Maratua)

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Simeulue Oriental Magpie-robin



 

Black-hooded Laughingthrush

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Chestnut-capped Thrush

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Javan Heleia
(Eastern Java)

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Javan Heleia

(Central Java)

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Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush

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Long-tailed Shrike

(Java)

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Van Hasselt's Sunbird

(Natuna)

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Bare throated Whistler

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Bar-winged Prinia

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Blue-crowned Laughingthrush

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Orange-spotted Bulbul

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Ruby-throated Bulbul

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White-bellied Fantail

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White-bibbed Babbler

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Golden-winged Laughingthrush

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Collared Laughingthrush

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Lemon-bellied White-eye
(islands north of West Java)

Alophoixus tephrogenys

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Cissa hypoleuca
(concolour and chauleti)

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Copsychus malabaricus stricklandii

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Copsychus malabaricus tricolor

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Copsychus saularis adamsi

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Copsychus saularis pluto

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Copsychus saularis zacnecus

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Garrulax milleti

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Geokichla interpres

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Heleia javanica elongata

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Heleia javanica javanica

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Lanthocincla konkakinhensis

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Lanius schach bentet

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Leptocoma brasiliana axantha

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Pachycephala nudigula

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Prinia familiaris

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Pterorhinus courtoisi
(courtoisi and simaoensis)

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Pycnonotus bimaculatus

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Pycnonotus dispar

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Rhipidura euryura

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Stachyris thoracica

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Trochalopteron ngoclinhense

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Trochalopteron yersini

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Zosterops chloris maxi

Faces continued threat from trade

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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New listing on Tier 2. These two subspecies are range-restricted and populations are declining from trapping. Trade demand, especially international, is increasing (hundreds).

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Faces continued threat from trade

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)

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Faces continued threat from trade

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Wu et al (2022)

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Acknowledgement of separation between adamsi (larger, all black birds) and pluto. While adamsi are particularly prized in trade and uncommon with restricted distribution, Sabah populations appear to be relatively secure and so do not yet merit Tier 1 status.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Acknowledgement of separation between adamsi and pluto (smaller, white outertail). While pluto have a relatively wider distribution and are less prized by collectors than adamsi, trapping and trade pressure continue to contribute to declines in Kalimantan.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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New listing on Tier 2. Restricted distribution, increasingly difficult to spot in the wild. Local trade demand - often seen in cages, suspected to be substitute species for Barusan Shama.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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New listing on Tier 2. Limited distribution, population declines at multiple known sites, emerging trade demand including internationally.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Faces continued threat from trade

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Split; Subspecies assessed separately. While range restricted and suspected to be declining in wild, elongata are consistently recorded in Javan markets in moderate and stable numbers (low hundreds).

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)

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Split; Subspecies assessed separately. While range restricted and suspected to be declining in wild, javanica are consistently recorded in Javan markets in moderate and stable numbers (low hundreds).

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)

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New listing on Tier 2. Population declines, with notable drop in sightings in past 3-4 years in a main known area for the species. Emerging trade demand nationally and internationally.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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New listing on Tier 2. Specific to the Javanese subspecies, declining populations and decreasing encounter rates recorded. Traded and seized in huge trade volumes (thousands). Ranched commercially although breeders report difficulties breeding, so still sourced from wild.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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This has been updated to specifically refer to axantha. While specifically prized by collectors, population declines are not at urgent threat levels yet.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Downlisted to Tier 2. Previously traded in significant numbers, but seems to have lost popularity (not easy to keep) and now traded in smaller numbers. Still locally common and widespread in the wild.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Despite population declines and huge numbers recorded in trade and high demand (thousands seized and in markets), still locally common in the wild and widespread across Java and Sumatra.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, FLIGHT (2023)

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Despite being trapped locally and assessed as CR, recent studies indicate populations in eastern China are secure.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Gleave et al (2024)

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Faces continued threat from trade

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Faces continued threat from trade

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Berryman & Collar (2023)

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Used to be common and widespread, but population declines recorded. Regularly recorded in trade in moderate numbers.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)

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Faces continued threat from trade

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone, Marsden et al (2023)

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While range restricted and emerging national and international trade recorded, recently discovered population in Lao PDR thought to still be secure due to inaccessibility.

IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone​

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While range restricted, population declines and emerging national and international trade recorded, this trade appears to be "deluxe" trade in small numbers.

​IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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This taxa has been updated to specifically refer to maxi. Other subspecies are considered common in the wild or minimally affected by trade. Rare in the wild, but updated studies required to ascertain levels of declines. While still in demand for trade, volumes recorded are smaller now than before.
IUCN Red List, BirdLife Datazone

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Suggested citation:
IUCN SSC ASTSG (2025) Priority Taxa List 2025. IUCN SSC Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group. [https://www.asiansongbirdtradesg.com/taxa-list]

©2018-2025 BY IUCN SSC ASIAN SONGBIRD TRADE SPECIALIST GROUP

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