Black Tinamou Tinamus osgoodi is listed as Vulnerable under criterion B1a+b(i,ii,iii,v), on the basis that its Extent of Occurrence (EOO) was estimated at less than 20,000 km2, in which its population was considered to occupy fewer than 10 locations and is still suspected to be declining due to habitat loss and hunting.
The species has recently been recorded at new locations in Peru (Gastañaga et al. 2007) and Ecuador (T. S. Schulenberg in litt. 2001, Pitman et al. 2002), extending its known range. The species’s range map has been updated and improved, and the EOO is now estimated at 26,900 km2. Based on this information the species now qualifies as Near Threatened under criterion B1a+b.
However, recent fieldwork has uncovered evidence that the species is particularly favoured by hunters, at least in the Sira Mountains of Peru, where some hunters enter the area exclusively to hunt this species (Gastañaga et al. 2007). Hunting pressure on the species may be higher than previously thought, and if the species is targeted throughout a substantial portion of its range, that and ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation could be driving a rapid population decline. Most intermontane foothill forest in Colombia has been cleared for agriculture and human settlement, and the rate of habitat loss has been increasing with improvements to the road network in Huila (P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1999). In addition, opium plantations have been spreading, even within Cueva de los Guácharos National Park, Huila (Wege and Long 1995, P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1999). In its Peruvian range, human settlement and conversion of forest to agriculture occurs largely below c.900 m; however, oil exploration has been taking place in the foothills of south-east Peru, and roads built to facilitate this have been settled (H. Lloyd in litt. 1999).
The species could potentially qualify as Vulnerable under criteria A2, A3 and/or A4 if a decline in the population of at least 30% over 20 years (three generations) is estimated, inferred or suspected in the past, future, or both. The threshold for Endangered under the same criteria is a reduction of at least 50% over 20 years. In light of recent findings, comments are invited on the level of hunting pressure, as well as the rate of habitat loss and degradation faced by the species.
Gastañaga, M., Hennessey, A. B. and MacLeod, R. (2007) Rediscovery of Southern Horned Curassow Pauxi unicornis koepckeae in Cerros del Sira, Peru. Cotinga 28: 63-66.
Pitman, N., Moskovits, D. K., Alverson, W. S. and Borman A., R. (eds.) (2002) Ecuador: Serranías Cofán–Bermejo, Sinangoe. Rapid Biological Inventories Report 3. Chicago, Illinois: The Field Museum.
Wege, D. C. and Long, A. J. (1995) Key Areas for threatened birds in the Neotropics. Cambridge, U.K.: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series 05).