The Qatar
Bird Observation Group and its related bird checklist makes use of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List’s categorization
system to define each bird species’ conservation status. The system classifies
a species as one of nine categories in accordance to its risk of extinction:
Not Evaluated (NE), Data Deficient (DD), Least Concern (LC), Near Threatened (NT), Vulnerable (VU), Endangered (EN), Critically Endangered (CR), Extinct in the Wild (EW), and Extinct (EX).
The
definitions of each of the IUCN Red List categories are provided below. For more detailed information on the
IUCN Red List categories and criteria, feel free to follow this link: https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/categories-and-criteria
IUCN Red List Categories Definitions:
Not Evaluated
A
taxon is Not Evaluated (NE) when it has not yet
been evaluated against the criteria.
Data Deficient
A taxon is Data Deficient (DD) when there is
inadequate information to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of
extinction based on its distribution and/or population status. A taxon in this
category may be well studied, and its biology well known, but appropriate data
on abundance and/or distribution are lacking.
Least Concern
A taxon is Least Concern (LC) when it has
been evaluated against the Red List criteria and does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened.
Near Threatened
A taxon is Near Threatened (NT) 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.
Vulnerable
A taxon is Vulnerable (VU) when the best
available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for
Vulnerable, and it is therefore considered to be facing a high risk of
extinction in the wild.
Endangered
A
taxon is Endangered (EN) when the best available evidence
indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered, and it is
therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Critically Endangered
A
taxon is Critically Endangered (CR) when
the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E
for Critically Endangered, and it is therefore considered to be facing an
extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
Extinct
in the Wild
A taxon is Extinct in the Wild (EW) when
it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalized
population (or populations) well outside the past range. A taxon is presumed
Extinct in the Wild when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat,
at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range
have failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time frame
appropriate to the taxon's life cycle and life form.
Extinct
A taxon is Extinct (EX) when
there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. A taxon is
presumed Extinct when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at
appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range
have failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time frame
appropriate to the taxon's life cycle and life form.
