Bird extinction can no longer be stopped

The number of surviving individuals is declining for many bird species. For some species, it already appears to be too late. Even conspicuous species such as the Spix's macaw are affected.

At least eight bird species have most likely or certainly gone extinct in the wild, or even completely, in recent decades alone. This is the finding of a study by the international organisation BirdLife International.

Since 1500, approximately 187 bird species have become extinct. The main causes are the introduction of non-native species, hobby hunting, and deforestation, as the organisation based in Cambridge, UK, reported.

Among the species mentioned was the Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii). The blue-feathered bird became known through the US animated film “Rio.” Some Spix's macaws still live in captivity. What was probably the last wild bird was sighted at the end of 2000.

Humans threaten habitats

A mini owl from Brazil has also most likely been wiped out. The Pernambuco pygmy owl (Glaucidium mooreorum) has not been seen since 2002, according to the study. Hobby hunting and deforestation are believed by conservationists to have led to its extinction.

“Historically, 90 percent of all bird species that went extinct (since 1500) were small populations on remote islands,” said Stuart Butchart of BirdLife International, who published the study in the journal “Biological Conservation.” Today, human intervention is affecting large habitats on continents — through agriculture, land drainage, and deforestation. More on biodiversity and on wildlife.