Number of bird species in danger reaches maximum record in 2013

According to the red list of endangered species of 2013 of the International Union for the conservation of nature (IUCN, the acronym in English), the number of bird species in danger of extinction has reached a new maximum.

The number of species analysed is 10,065, of which about 130 belong to the category "extinct", four "extinct in the wild", 198 to "critically endangered", 397 are "in danger", 713 are "vulnerable", are "almost threatened" 888, "little concern" are 7,675 and 60 have "sufficient information".

Some of the species that this year have joined the category of "critically endangered" are the Sarothrua ayresi, a passerine bird of the Moorhen or emberiza aureola, a species of the family escrevedeiras.

"Nearly 200 species of birds are now a real danger of being lost forever," said Leon Bennun, director of Science, politics and BirdLife International Information. "The loss of habitat, changes in agriculture, invasive species, climate change are the main threats. If these problems are not resolved, this list will continue to grow dramatically, "emphasises the researcher in a statement released by the Portuguese society for the study of birds (SPEA)

"Critically endangered" is the maximum category of the IUCN Red list of threatened species, which includes those in extreme risk of extinction in the wild.

The list shows that thanks to the efforts of the international community some bird species showed improvements in their degree of conservation. An example of this is the Black-Browed Albatross.

Habitat protection and reforestation, stimulated by the need for protection of water catchment areas, were crucial to the recovery of these species. "Despite a lot of afforestation have involved exotic trees, the rehabilitation of ecosystems was started in various locations. Many of these sites have been sealed to prevent the entry of cattle and loggers; exotic plants were removed; and native species were planted, all this accompanied by a public awareness ", this the SPEA.

"The red list this year is a mixture of good news and bad news, but once again shows how conservation teams around the world have achieved success and saved and avoided species extinctions â€" and the commitment to these efforts need to be extended to a wider scale," Bennun.

Foto:  M.Peinado / Creative Commons

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