Gough Island Finch
CR

Gough Island Finch

Rowettia goughensis

Stable

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gough_finch

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Gough Island bunting faces severe threats from introduced house mice that prey on eggs and nestlings, causing dramatic population declines. Habitat degradation from invasive plant species, particularly New Zealand flax and procumbent pearlwort, has reduced suitable nesting areas. Climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns and potential sea-level rise affecting the island's limited terrestrial habitat.

Threat summary

Habitat

Endemic to Gough Island in the South Atlantic, this species inhabits tussock grasslands, fern bush areas, and coastal vegetation zones. It prefers dense vegetation cover for nesting, particularly areas with native tussock grass and indigenous shrubland between 50-800 meters elevation.

Shrubland· majorGrassland· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recovery

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Gough Island Finch classified as Critically Endangered?
Gough Island Finch is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Gough Island bunting faces severe threats from introduced house mice that prey on eggs and nestlings, causing dramatic population declines. Habitat degradation from invasive plant species, particularly New Zealand flax and procumbent pearlwort, has reduced suitable nesting areas. Climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns and potential sea-level rise affecting the island's limited terrestrial habitat.
Where does Gough Island Finch live?
Gough Island Finch occurs in St. Helena, and United Kingdom. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Gough Island Finch?
The main threats to Gough Island Finch are 8.1, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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