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Extinct & Rare Birds

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:50:35 +0000

Have you ever used the expression ‘as dead as a Dodo’? The Dodo is one of the most well known extinct bird species. Sadly, the Dodo is not the only bird that has been classified as extinct.

When we refer to an extinct bird we are referring to a bird species that is no longer in existence. Recent studies have determined the main reasons for extinction are: loss of habitat due to development by humans; and harassment by humans or predation by exotic species. 42 species and 44 subspecies have become extinct within the last 280 years, most of which are island dwellers. The three extinct species below clearly illustrate the seriousness of this issue.

The Dodo was a large flightless bird living on the island of Mauritius. Dodos were killed by sailors, and their nests and young were destroyed by newly introduced cats, rats and pigs brought to the island by the settlers. Another extinct flightless bird was the Great Auk. Its population decreased due to hunting, with the last two being killed by collectors of rare specimens. The Passenger Pigeon was one of the most plentiful bird species in the world in the 19th century. The trees in which they nested were cut down to make way for farm land, decreasing their numbers. Additionally, a mass slaughter was conducted yearly. As Passenger Pigeons required large groups to breed and thrive in, this led to their extinction.

Unfortunately, nothing can be done for these and many other extinct species. However, we can make an effort to preserve those species which are considered to be rare and endangered. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) classifies 168 species as having a critical conservation status (50% probability of becoming extinct within 5 years) and 235 species as endangered (20% probability of extinction within 20 years). Many people consult rare bird alerts to find out the latest status on these bird species as well as when/where they have been spotted. Lists of rare birds are released and updated regularly by the IUCN.

Many programs have been set up to curb this trend towards extinction. Why not find out what rare birds are in your area and how you can help them survive.

Why the Dodo Bird?

Editor — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:36:49 +0000

In the last 400 years, at least 75 bird species became extinct. Of all these tragic species, the dodo is the best known. How did the dodo gain so much popular attention, when it went extinct way back in the 1680′s? Well, when Europeans first landed on the island of Mauritius, in 1598, they encountered a strange bird. It was a gigantic, flightless pigeon with a huge bill and no apparent fear of predators. They named it after the Portuguese word “duodo“, meaning simpleton.

The dodo did not need the ability to fly, because Mauritius had no predators. Unfortunately, human settlers brought rats, cats, pigs and monkeys to the island. Dodos could not escape these new creatures, and were also hunted by man. Within 40 to 50 years of the island’s discovery, the dodo was no more.

The dodo was barely remembered for the next several centuries. But in the 1860′s, the dodo appeared in Lewis Carroll’s famous book “Alice in Wonderland.” Also at that time, scientists found well-preserved dodo bones. Both events sparked a flurry of popular and scientific interest in dodos.

Perhaps the dodo also gained fame from the swiftness of its extinction. In today’s world of environmental concerns, it stands as a symbol of how easily humans can negatively affect wildlife. Many bird species today are threatened with extinction- hopefully no more species will suffer the dodo’s sudden fate.

Flightless Birds

Editor — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 08:42:18 +0000

Not all birds can fly. Though many people think flying is what defines birds as a group, in actuality several bird species are flightless birds.

Some birds are simply too large to fly. This includes land birds like Ostriches, Emus and Cassowaries. They do not need flight to escape predators. The Ostrich can run away, reaching speeds of 45 miles an hour. Cassowaries can defend themselves with powerful claws.

Several birds choose to swim instead of fly. Penguins, for instance, have wings evolved into narrow paddles they use to push themselves through the water. They are incredible swimmers and divers- large wings would interfere with their underwater abilities.

Many flightless birds evolved on small islands, where there are no mammal predators to fly away from. These birds include the Flightless Cormorant on the Galapagos Island, the now-extinct Dodo bird of Mauritius, many species of rails (small marsh birds), and New Zealand’s famous Kiwi birds.

These island-dwelling flightless birds are at particular risk of extinction. As humans moved onto their islands, they brought with them many mammal predators, such as housecats, mongooses and rats. Unable to escape from these new predators, several flightless birds went gone extinct.

Other flightless birds are still in danger. For instance, non-native predators reduced the Kakapo (New Zealand’s bizarre flightless parrot) to less than a hundred individual birds. Many people are now working hard to clear its home islands of non-native mammals, so that the flightless bird can recover.