News Preventing Extinctions

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
Suzanne Medina and son release a Guam Rail into the wild © Guam Department of Agriculture

How did the Guam Rail come back from extinction...

Mon, 20/01/2020
After more than 30 years, the Guam Rail is back: breeding naturally beyond the confines of captive breeding enclosures – making it only the second bird species ever to recover from extinction in the wild. How did conservationists do it, and what can we learn about the threat of introduced predators?
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WorldwideGuam

La batalla por proteger al Zamarrito Pechinegro,...

Mon, 20/01/2020
El Zamarrito Pechinegro (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), es un colibrí endémico de Ecuador, en Peligro Crítico. Hace más de una década, Aves y Conservación, socio de BirdLife International, desarrolla proyectos para proteger a esta especie amenazada y su único hábitat: los bosques Alto Andinos.
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WorldwideEcuador
The Marsh Antwren weighs around ten grams © Marco Silva

Critically Endangered antwren receives its first...

Fri, 10/01/2020
In October 2019, the Marsh Antwren was given its first ever protected area in the town of Guararema, Brazil. This tiny, Critically Endangered antbird lives in isolated populations on marshland just 50km from São Paulo, the largest city in South America.
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WorldwideBrazil
The Blue-throated Macaw is bouncing back from the brink of extinction thanks to a special reserve in Bolivia © Asociacion Armonia

New study: conservation action has reduced bird...

Tue, 07/01/2020
We’ve all heard of species brought back from the brink of extinction, but have you ever wondered how impactful conservation actually is? A new study shows that global conservation action has reduced the effective extinction rate of birds by an astonishing 40%. But is it all good news?
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Worldwide
During the breeding season, the Madagascar Pond-heron has white plumage and a vivid blue beak © Gilles ADT

A world first: Six Madagascar Pond-herons fitted...

Fri, 03/01/2020
In late 2019, a team of scientists and conservationists undertook a mission to capture and fit tracking equipment to Madagascar Pond-herons. This ongoing study is building upon the knowledge of the species and will aid its conservation.
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WorldwideMayotte
Autumn is both rice harvesting season and migration season for Yellow-breasted Bunting © oLDcaR

Bringing the ‘rice bird’ back to Hong Kong

Wed, 18/12/2019
The Yellow-breasted Bunting used to flock in its thousands across Asia’s paddy fields. Now, due to hunting and changes in farming practices, it is Critically Endangered. A new project is bringing rice paddies back to Hong Kong, along with the birds that depend on them.
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WorldwideHong Kong (China)
Straw-headed Bulbul pair © Pixabay

A new action plan to keep the Straw-headed Bulbul...

Mon, 16/12/2019
Captured from the wild for its beautiful voice, the Straw-headed Bulbul is now Critically Endangered. But at its final stronghold in Singapore, a new collaboration between NGOs, governments and businesses could help it to stage a comeback.
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WorldwideSingapore
The Greater Green Leafbird is now Endangered © vil.sandi / Flickr

7 things you might have missed from the 2019 Red...

Fri, 13/12/2019
Every year, our scientists work around the clock to update the threat status of birds on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. While the amazing recovery of the Guam Rail might have taken centre stage, 2019 heralded plenty more important discoveries. From victims of climate change to exciting new information on unknown birds, here are the latest ups and downs of the avian world that might not have made the headlines.
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Worldwide
One of Joe Wood’s assistants, Martin Prescot, in the captive breeding program © Joe Wood

The race to save the Santa Cruz Ground-dove

Thu, 05/12/2019
When a hundred Endangered doves were illegally captured from the wild, conservationists rushed to liberate them. But where do you release a bird when its last wild refuge is a dangerous active volcano? BirdLife’s Nigel Collar recounts how the effort united the conservation world.
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Worldwide
Cebu Flowerpecker © HBW

Meet the Lazarus Birds: 5 species once presumed...

Tue, 03/09/2019
The dramatic rediscovery of the Antioquia Brush-finch – a species unseen for almost half a century – hit the headlines this past April. However, such incredible returns, although rare, are not unheard of. We explore some of the most miraculous examples of recent times, and what they teach us about the danger of presuming a species is extinct.
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WorldwideBrazilColombiaIndonesiaNew ZealandPhilippinesThailand
The Northern Bald Ibis is no longer Critically Endangered © Fireglo / Shutterstock

Northern Bald Ibis: baldly leading the way in...

Wed, 29/05/2019
Four ibis species in three very different circumstances. All facing extinction. One, the Northern Bald Ibis, is now recovering. What does it take to turn the tables on extinction?
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WorldwideCambodiaMoroccoSao Tome and Principe