News Preventing Extinctions

The Sarus Crane can reach six feet tall © Jonathan Eames

Second chance for Cambodia’s big birds

Tue, 05/01/2021
For a suspenseful three years, Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary seemed doomed. But now, changed policies, changed hearts and a new organic rice scheme promises hope for the forest landscape’s villagers, businesses and giant birds.
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WorldwideCambodia
Madagascar pond-heron with internuptial plumage © Gilles ADT

Restoring wet meadows to protect the Madagascar...

Tue, 22/12/2020
Wet meadows are critical reservoirs of biodiversity, but they have declined in Mayotte due to pollution, urbanization and invasive species, among others. Restoration efforts have been ongoing since August 2020 to protect critical breeding sites for the Madagascar Pond-heron.
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AfricaMadagascar
The Red-legged Partridge is now Near Threatened due to over-hunting and habitat loss © Pierre Dalous

Red List 2020: seven things you might have missed

Fri, 18/12/2020
The carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” may soon need to become one verse shorter as a European partridge is listed as Near Threatened. Meanwhile, paradise is restored for one flycatcher, proving that conservation can achieve great things. Explore these and more in our round-up of fascinating under-the-radar findings from this year’s Red List update…
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WorldwideBhutanChinaIndiaNew ZealandPapua New GuineaPeruSeychellesSpain
The Andean Condor is now classed as Vulnerable to extinction © reisegraf.ch / Shutterstock

Red List 2020: Andean Condor heads list of...

Mon, 14/12/2020
Poisoned, poached, persecuted – iconic raptors such as the Andean Condor, Secretarybird and Martial Eagle have moved to higher threat categories in this year’s update to the IUCN Red List, sparking fears that the crisis that brought many Asian and African vultures to the edge of extinction has spread to new continents and species.
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WorldwideBoliviaChileColombiaEcuador
The Golden White-eye pollinates many of the islands' plants © Peter / Flickr

Golden White-eye dodges danger of invasive snake

Thu, 03/12/2020
For years, conservationists feared that this tiny songbird would fall prey to invasive tree snakes that had decimated bird populations on nearby islands. Thankfully, biosecurity measures seem to be holding back the invasion, bringing hope for this Critically Endangered species.
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WorldwideNorthern Mariana Islands
Egyptian Vulture © Ivostyle / Shutterstock

5 ways we've helped vultures in the past 5...

Tue, 03/11/2020
When our first campaign to save African vultures started in 2015, global awareness and political recognition of these majestic raptors were in their infancy. Discover just a few examples of the fantastic achievements that BirdLife supporters helped to kick-start, and find out how you can help us step up our action to the next level.
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WorldwideIndiaKenyaNepalNigeriaSouth AfricaZambia
30 Bojer's Skinks were evacuated from Ile de la Passe © Mauritian Wildlife Foundation

Reptile rescue mission after devastating...

Thu, 29/10/2020
When an oil freighter ran aground within a few kilometres of Mauritian nature reserves, local conservationists rushed in to rescue three globally threatened lizard species found nowhere else. The reptiles were moved to a captive breeding programme that could provide a vital lifeline.
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WorldwideMauritius
The Iberian Lynx is still around thanks to the hard work of conservationists © Nathan Ranc

Conservation action has prevented at least 28...

Thu, 10/09/2020
A new study shows just how effectively conservation action slows extinction rates, calculating that at least 28 bird and mammal species would have been lost since 1993 without intervention. The message is clear – with enough support, we can halt the extinction crisis.
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Worldwide

Cartoons show fascinating life, shocking...

Tue, 18/08/2020
With a touch of comedy, India-based cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty uses his illustrations to give a view of the world through a bird’s eyes and present thought-provoking conservation messages. Explore the fascinating habits and shocking hardships of the Helmeted Hornbill: a Critically Endangered species.
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WorldwideBurmaIndonesiaMalaysiaThailand
There are only 50 Javan Pied Starlings left in the wild - and 1 million in cages © Ding Li Yong

More caged birds than wild: Javan songbird crisis...

Wed, 12/08/2020
In Java, there are now more songbirds in cages than in forests. Fierce demand for lucrative song competitions is driving multiple species to the brink – but in a region where bird-keeping is a cultural mainstay, complex solutions are required.
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WorldwideIndonesia
This is one helmet that sadly does not provide protection © Craig Ansibin / Shutterstock

How we're helping the Helmeted Hornbill to...

Fri, 31/07/2020
Teetering on the edge of extinction due to demand for its prized 'casque', the Helmeted Hornbill now finds itself with a fighting chance of survival thanks to bolstered law enforcement and patrols of its dwindling forest habitat
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WorldwideBruneiIndonesiaMalaysiaThailand
Lappet-faced Vulture © Ben Jobson

How Kenya is healing toxic relationship between...

Tue, 23/06/2020
With their hunched posture, bald heads and their use in cartoons to represent opportunistic greed, vultures are arguably the most misunderstood scavengers. Humans have long considered them to be the outcasts of the animal kingdom, and due to their association with death, they are feared and reviled. Yet, their swift response means carcasses are picked clean before disease particles can take hold.
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AfricaKenya
White-rumped Vulture © Deepak Sankat

Latest research: vulture and ibis recovery,...

Tue, 16/06/2020
The world may have ground to a halt during the COVID-19 crisis, but researchers around the globe are still writing and publishing papers on key scientific discoveries. Here are three recent highlights from across the Birdlife Partnership.
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WorldwideBrazilMoroccoNepal
© Fábio Nunes

Grey-breasted Parakeet recovers from three...

Thu, 07/05/2020
In 2012, researchers made the alarming discovery that this vivacious parakeet was now confined to a single small region in northeastern Brazil. Find out how their campaign has seen the birds make a remarkable comeback from three fledglings in 2010 to a cumulative total of 1,165 fledglings.
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Worldwide
Regent Honeyeater © Dean Ingwersen / BirdLife Australia

From the ashes: 5 birds affected by Australia...

Fri, 24/04/2020
The Australian bushfires of late 2019 and early 2020 gave much cause for heartbreak and angst. With the smoke finally clearing, read about five affected bird species and the efforts underway to help bring them back from the brink.
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WorldwideAustralia
Guam Kingfisher © Guam Department of Agriculture

Extinct in the Wild: can these 5 bird species...

Tue, 10/03/2020
In the light of the successful reintroduction of Guam Rail, we consider the prospects of the five remaining bird species categorised as Extinct in the Wild – all of which face unique barriers to re-entry.
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WorldwideBrazilMexicoUnited States of America
Hatuta’a Island © Fred Jacq

Explore the remote islands at the crossroads of...

Wed, 05/02/2020
Join us on a photographic journey to the middle of the Pacific Ocean to explore the Marquesas, a remote French Polynesian archipelago where irreplaceable nature and culture are threatened by introduced and invasive species – and where BirdLife has big plans for restoration…
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WorldwideFrench Polynesia
93% of the Black-breasted Puffleg's habitat has been altered or degraded © Murray Cooper

Growing flowers to save a Critically Endangered...

Mon, 27/01/2020
In Ecuador’s high Andean forests, the Black-breasted Puffleg is running out of habitat. A forest restoration programme offers hope, working with local people to plant the species’ favourite flowers.
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WorldwideEcuador