Conservation and Management

Great Shortwing is considered two species by BirdLife International (4 del Hoyo, J., and N. J. Collar (2016). Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ) and consequently these have been assessed separately according to IUCN Red List Criteria. H. calligyna (including picta) is listed as Least Concern, whereas H. simplex is listed as Near Threatened under Criterion D1 due to its perceived small range. However, few observers have visited the range of H. simplex, and its abundance and distribution on the Minahasa Peninsula are poorly known. It is speculated to occur in an extremely limited range (less than 85 km²) within the Tentolo-Matinan Mountains (23 BirdLife International (2021). Species factsheet: Heinrichia simplex. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 04/05/2021. Close ), but more extensive and detailed surveys are needed to confirm or deny this hypothesis.

Forest loss continues apace on Sulawesi (see, e.g., 24 Supriatna, J., M. Shekelle, H. Fuad, N. Winarni, A. Dwiyahreni, M. Farid, S. Mariati, C. Margules, B. Prakoso, and Z. Zakaria (2020). Deforestation on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and the loss of primate habitat. Global Ecology and Conservation 24:e01205. Close ), although principally in the lowlands; the montane forests that the present species inhabits are likely to be the last affected. However, that it is seemingly intolerant of even moderate forest degradation if this affects undergrowth structure (19 Abrahamczyk, S., M. Kessler, D. Dwi Putra, M. Waltert, and T. Tscharntke (2008). The value of differently managed cacao plantations for forest bird conservation in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Bird Conservation International 18(4):349–362. Close ) may, in the future, render Great Shortwing vulnerable to forest loss.

Endemic to the Sulawesi Endemic Bird Area (25 Stattersfield, A. J., M. J. Crosby, A. J. Long, and D. C. Wege, Editors (1998). Endemic Bird Areas of the World: Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation. BirdLife Conservation Series 7. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Close ).