BirdLife International in bid to discover whether 'missing' species are in fact extinct
Emily Beament, The Independent 21 Aug 09;
The hunt is on for 47 "long-lost" species of bird in an attempt to discover if they have escaped extinction.
BirdLife International is launching a global attempt today to try to confirm the existence of the critically endangered birds which, in some cases, have not been seen for more than 180 years.
The list of birds which could have become extinct includes the slender-billed curlew, one of the last verified sightings of which was in the UK a decade ago.
Other species being targeted by the international coalition of bird conservation groups include birds found in remote forests or islands, in parts of the US and Europe and in the Himalayas.
Some may be difficult to track down, such as the Archer's lark which is found in the war zones of Somalia, while some have not been seen for generations, including the hooded seedeater of South America, which has not been recorded since 1823.
If scientists are unable to find many of those on the list it could mean the extinction crisis is worse than feared. A failure to confirm the continued existence of the lost birds would increase the number which have gone the way of the dodo – currently estimated at some 133 species since 1500.
But conservationists are hopeful that some of the birds could be rediscovered, such as the Cebu flowerpecker, which was found again "at the eleventh hour" before its last remaining Philippines forest home was destroyed.
Marco Lambertini, BirdLife International's chief executive, said: "History has shown us that we shouldn't give up on species that are feared to have gone to their graves, because some have been rediscovered long after they were feared extinct. The extinction crisis is gathering momentum, but that's no excuse for humanity to allow even more strands of the web of life to disappear, especially without giving them a final chance."
Rediscoveries could allow scientists to study their needs and threats and establish conservation efforts to save them and their habitats. The quest to find lost species is being announced at the 21st British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water, which is set to attract more than 20,000 British bird watchers. Money raised there will help fund the searches.
Bird watchers hunt for 47 'long lost' species
Conservationists are urging the public to look out for 47 'long-lost' species of birds, some of which have not been seen for almost 200 years.
Louise Gray, The Telegraph 21 Aug 09;
A global attempt has been launched to try to confirm the existence of the critically-endangered birds, among them the slender-billed curlew, which was last seen in the UK a decade ago, and the hooded seed-eater which was last spotted in Brazil in 1823.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Bird life International set out the plans at the British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water. Funds of up to £250,000 from the fair will be used to fund scientific projects to remote jungles or islands where the lost species may be found.
But travellers are also being asked to be on the look out when abroad. Only the slender-billed curlew is found in Europe, with the rest of the birds from around the world with many in North America including the ivory-billed woodpecker, which was officially last seen in 1944 although there have been recent reports of sightings in the Deep South.
Ornithologists ask for a photograph or a specimen such as a feather but even a reported sighting can be considered if it is from an experienced source.
Some of the birds may be difficult to track down - such as the Archer's lark which is found in the war zones of Somalia.
Some 133 species of bird have gone extinct since 1600 including the dodo and passenger pigeon.
However birds that were believed to be extinct have also been found, such as the Cebu flowerpecker which was rediscovered in the Philippines in 1992 just in time to save the rainforests where it lives.
Grahame Madge, of the RSPB, said it was imperative to give the birds a last chance before they were "written off".
"We need to find if they still exist and bring in conservation measures to try and save them," he said.
"We're hopeful many of these species still exist, although some may well have gone."
