The good news: 25 Australian birds are now at less risk of extinction. The bad news: 29 are gone and 4 more might be
Retrieved on:
Monday, February 12, 2024
Tiwi, Calyptorhynchus, Lord Howe Island, Neochmia, Bristlebird, Cacatua, Bird, Wedge-tailed eagle, Cyclopsitta, Mount Lofty Ranges, Zosterops, Animal, Eagle, Rainforest, Risk, Swift parrot, Grasswren, Lyrebird, Rat, Eastern bristlebird, Mammal, Policy, Legislation, Quail-thrush, Agriculture, Farm, Breeding, Hunting
Our new research answers these questions for Australian birds.
Key Points:
- Our new research answers these questions for Australian birds.
- One of the goals of conservation is to reduce the risk of a species becoming extinct.
- Nine of these would have gone extinct if not for hard work and expertise to prevent it happening.
What were the successes?
- This success also changed the average characteristics of Australian threatened birds.
- Before the pest eradications on Macquarie Island, large seabirds dominated the profile of the threatened Australian birds.
- The likely huge benefits from eradicating rodents from Lord Howe Island, for example, are yet to show up in these figures.
- One of the largest national parks in New South Wales was acquired for the Bulloo grey grasswren (Amytornis barbatus barbatus).
- Very few glossy black-cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus) on Kangaroo Island were nesting successfully before their nests were protected from predatory possums.
Read more:
We identified the 63 animals most likely to go extinct by 2041. We can't give up on them yet
There have also been setbacks
- In the past decade, Gould’s petrel and the bristlebird have suffered setbacks due to new or escalating threats.
- A new report suggests Tasmanian wind farms are killing and injuring significant numbers of eagles – and many more windfarms are planned.
- Our analysis of improvements in the conservation outlook for Australian birds was complemented with an assessment of Australian bird extinctions.
29 birds are gone, but we can halt the losses
- At present, 29 Australian birds are known to have become extinct.
- After years of searching, this century-old bird mystery has yet to be solved
For the 29 extinct birds, we can do nothing.
- The important lesson is that this number of losses need grow no more.
- However, the examples of birds whose risk of extinction has declined show what can be achieved.
- Sarah Legge receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
- She is a member of the Biodiversity Council; the Conservation and Science Committee for the Invasive Species Council; and the Threatened Species Committee for Birds Australia.