EIGHT SPECIES NAMED AS 'EXTINCT IN THE WILD'

Spix's macaw - lost to the wild

EIGHT birds have been named  as extinct in the wild following a review by  Birdlife International.

They are:

Ø     Spix's macaw

Ø     Poo-uli

Ø     Cryptic treehunter

Ø     Alagoas foliage-gleaner

Ø     New Caledonian lorikeet

Ø     Javan lapwing

Ø     Pernambuco pygmy-owl

Ø     Glaucous macaw

Announcing the decision, BirdLife’s Chief Scientist, Dr Stuart Butchart, commented: “Some 90 per cent of bird extinctions in recent centuries have been of species on islands.

“However, our results confirm that there is a growing wave of extinctions sweeping across the continents, driven mainly by habitat loss and degradation from unsustainable agriculture and logging”.

The best-known of the above is the Spix’s macaw because it was featured in the 2011 animated children's film, Rio.

However, according to Dr Butchart, hope still lingers for this species.

An estimated population of between 60-80 persists in captivity, so theoretically a successful breeding programme could lead to its reintroduction to the wild.

A lone sighting in 2016 sparked hope the species may persist in the wild, but it is now suspected to have been an escapee from captivity. 

* Photo credit: Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation