Bird species across the globe are increasingly facing extinction as human activity, climate change, and illegal wildlife trade continue to erode their habitats and survival chances. Conservation organizations like the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) are working to reverse these trends, protecting endangered birds through various rescue and conservation efforts, including projects like the Beijing Raptor Rescue Center and the Songbird Protection Project.
The yellow-crested cockatoo, native to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, is now critically endangered. With only around 1,200 to 2,000 individuals left in the wild, illegal wildlife trafficking remains the greatest threat, despite a 1994 ban under CITES Appendix I. Habitat destruction from agriculture and logging also continues to reduce their numbers.
In North America, the California condor remains one of the rarest birds, with only 93 individuals found in the wild as of 2020. Lead poisoning from bullet fragments in carcasses is the main cause of death, alongside other threats like pesticide exposure, trash ingestion, and disease. Once spread across the western United States, the condor’s range has been reduced to small populations in California and Arizona. However, ongoing conservation has led to a slow increase in numbers.
Northern bald ibises, once found across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, are now limited mainly to Morocco. Around 200 to 250 individuals remain. They are endangered due to a variety of localized threats, including illegal hunting in Syria and Italy, poisoning from pesticides in Turkey, and habitat destruction from construction and agricultural changes in Morocco.
On São Tomé island off the West African coast, the São Tomé ibis population is estimated to be between 130 and 1,700. Hunting remains the primary cause of its decline.
Several Amazon parrot species are also under threat. The imperial Amazon, native to Dominica, has a population of only 40 to 60 individuals due to forest loss from hurricanes like Maria in 2017. In Puerto Rico, the endemic parrot population has fallen to fewer than 50 birds. As climate change increases the intensity of storms, these parrots face even greater challenges. Despite being popular in the pet trade, Amazon parrots require large spaces and can live for decades, making them unsuitable for captivity.
The imperial woodpecker of Mexico may already be extinct. Not seen since 1956, this species once lived in pine forests but disappeared due to deforestation and hunting. Though woodpeckers play a beneficial ecological role by controlling insects, their own survival is now in jeopardy.
The African grey parrot is another species severely affected by illegal wildlife trade. Native to Central and West Africa, these highly intelligent birds are in demand for their ability to mimic human speech. However, trapping and habitat loss have pushed their numbers down. Their long lifespan—60 to 80 years—also means they are often rehomed repeatedly, adding to the stress they experience in captivity.
On Grand Bahama Island, the Bahama nuthatch is teetering on the brink of extinction, with fewer than 50 birds believed to exist. Since Hurricane Dorian in 2019, there have been no confirmed sightings. These birds, already limited in range, have been devastated by natural disasters.
The Indian vulture population has been decimated by diclofenac, a drug used to treat livestock. When vultures consume the carcasses of treated animals, they suffer fatal poisoning. Although bans are in place, the drug is still widely used, and fewer than 8,000 mature individuals are thought to remain.
On Maui island in Hawaii, the Maui parrotbill has a current population of about 105 individuals. It once declined due to habitat loss from feral pigs. While protective fencing has helped, avian malaria and climate change now pose serious threats, especially as mosquitoes carrying disease spread to higher elevations.
In the Galápagos Islands, the mangrove finch population is down to just 20 to 40 individuals. Predation and parasitic infestations from invasive species are the main causes of its decline.
The Seychelles scops owl, found only on the island of Mahé, has a small population of just 200 to 280 birds. Deforestation, introduced predators like rats and cats, and climate change are the primary threats.
Two fruit dove species—the Rapa fruit dove and the Negros fruit dove—are critically endangered. The Rapa fruit dove is limited to a small South Pacific island and has a population under 250. The Negros fruit dove, native to the Philippines, may number fewer than 50. Habitat destruction and invasive predators are major concerns, especially since there has been no confirmed sighting of the Negros fruit dove since 1953.
The yellow-breasted bunting once ranged from Finland to East Asia, but now it has vanished from much of its former territory. It is heavily hunted and traded illegally for food, especially in Southeast Asia.
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