The Javan lapwing (''Vanellus macropterus'') also known as Javanese lapwing and Javanese wattled lapwing is (or was) a wader in the lapwing family. This large, long-legged wader inhabited the marshes and river deltas of Java, and possibly

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

and Timor. It was last seen in 1940, and as it was a conspicuous species unlikely to be overlooked, it seems likely that it is

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

. And the IUCN classified it as such in their 1994 and 1996 assessments, but reversed that in 2000 and listed the species as Critically Endangered (CR). In an assessment dated 1 October 2016, the IUCN justified the classification:

This conspicuous species has not been recorded since 1940, and it is likely to have declined severely owing to extensive habitat degradation and destruction, probably compounded by significant hunting pressure. However, not all potential habitat has been surveyed, and local reports need to be followed up with dedicated surveys. Any remaining population is likely to be tiny, and for these reasons it is treated as Critically Endangered.

The IUCN clarifies by citing "unconfirmed reports" by locals from 2013. While acknowledging that finding live individuals is "unlikely", insight gained from observations in the 1920s may point to additional habitats not previously considered. Specifically grasslands on Belitung Island may be one such location to be surveyed. However, a 2018 study, citing previous patterns of bird population decline and the lack of any confirmed sightings, recommended uplisting the species to Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct).

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet

Red Data Book

3D view
of specimens RMNH 22992, RMNH 22993, RMNH 32753, RMNH 32759, RMNH 32760, RMNH 32773, RMNH 32781, RMNH 87518, RMNH 87519, RMNH 110.066, RMNH 110.067, RMNH 110.105 and RMNH 110.106 at

Naturalis Naturalis Biodiversity Center ( nl, Nederlands Centrum voor Biodiversiteit Naturalis) is a national museum of natural history and a research center on biodiversity in Leiden, Netherlands. It was named the European Museum of the Year 2021. Alth ...

, Leiden (requires

QuickTime QuickTime is an extensible multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. Created in 1991, the latest Mac version, QuickTime X, is avai ...

browser plugin). Javan lapwing Birds of Java Extinct birds of Asia Javan lapwing Articles containing video clips Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler {{Charadriiformes-stub

See also

References

External links