Extinct & Rare Birds

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 [...]

Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans)

The Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) and its other Albatross counterparts are facing extinction. Scientists have recorded that close to a 100,000 birds a year are being killed by tuna and swordfish fishing vessels. If serious action is not taken urgently, this mighty seafarer might not be seen in the near future. The Wandering Albatross is [...]

Slender-billed Curlews Extinct?

Sometimes the daily habits of a certain bird species may be so obscure that ornithologists are not even sure how many of them exist. That certainly seems to be the case with the Slender-billed Curlew as it seems there is some doubt as to whether or not this bird is still surviving or has become completely extinct.

Britain’s Bitterns Respond Positively to Conservation Efforts

Considered to be on the brink of extinction in Britain just over a decade ago, the bittern has made a remarkable come-back, with the species enjoying its best recorded nesting season in the past 130 years. The loud “booming” mating call of the bittern assisted conservationists in tracking the birds, resulting in a count of 75 males, an astonishing 47 percent increase on last year’s numbers and nearly seven times as many as the 11 which were counted in 1997.

One in Eight Birds in Danger of Extinction

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), one in eight bird species is currently facing extinction. The most recent update of the Red List of threatened bird species listed 190 bird species as ‘critically endangered’. Eight of the birds on this list were added this year and a further sixteen species have been given a higher threat status. In sharp contrast, only two species were found to have improved prospects of survival. Clearly things are spiraling out of control.

Experts Estimate Birds Will Be Grossly Affected By Global Warming

According to recent research and data, as many as 20-30% of all animal species will be at an increased risk of extinction if temperatures continue to rise. Experts estimate that an increase of more than 2.5 °C in average temperatures across the globe could have a deadly impact on existing animal species as it will make survival more difficult. This is especially the case for many birds.

The Rare Takahe of New Zealand

The colorful and unusual takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) is not a bird that many people are familiar with. In fact, it wasn’t very long ago when the bird was thought to be extinct since there were no sightings from 1948 until very recently. So, while very few people are aware of its existence, takahes are slowly being cast under the ornithological spotlight since the re-emergence of this species has many bird enthusiasts nattering enthusiastically amongst one another.

Black Grouse Saved from Extinction

The Black Grouse appears on the IUCN Red List of endangered species and was considered to be one of the bird species most likely to become extinct. However, through the dedicated efforts of conservation groups over the past two decades, the dramatic decline of this rare bird has not only been halted, but turned around, and Black Grouse numbers in the northern Pennines are slowly rising.

Remarkable Re-discovery of Beck’s Petrel

With the last verified sighting of a Beck’s Petrel being almost 80 years ago, conservationists were of the opinion that this particular bird species (Pseudobulweria becki) had become extinct. However, to the delight of ornithological conservationists, the British Ornithologists’ Club recently published photographic confirmation of Beck’s Petrel sightings.

Why the Dodo Bird?

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.