Endangered Species – Birds – Part Two

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)

Status: Near-threatened (IUCN), Endangered (ESA)



Image source

The resplendent quetzal is a forest bird, regarded as one of the most beautiful bird in the western hemisphere due to its colorful plumage. It usually stays high in the canopy of the cloud forests of Central America (from Southern Mexico to Panama). Since the quetzal has been designated as Guatemala’s national bird, the cloud forests are now protected in various areas in Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica in the hope that its population will eventually stabilize.

Black-cheeked Lovebird (Agapornis nigrigenis)

Status: Vulnerable (IUCN)



Image source

The black-cheeked lovebird is perhaps the most threatened of all lovebird species in the wild. It is confined mainly in a small range in southwestern part of Zambia, particularly in the deciduous woodlands where large supplies of water are available. Despite legally protected in Zambia, illegal trapping of black-cheeked lovebirds as pets is certainly one of the biggest threats to the birds’ existence. Its already small population is also declining due to continuous habitat loss due to draining of water for agricultural needs and farmland creation.

Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)

Status: Near-threatened (IUCN), Threatened (ESA)



Image source

The piping plover is so-called because of its distinctive call, a two–note piping or peeping sound. It is a small migratory shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The earliest cause of the bird’s decline was excessive hunting. Since hunting of the plover has been outlawed, habitat disturbance and destruction have become its main threats. The bird has lost much of its nesting area as beaches and other waterfronts have been converted into recreational and living areas for humans.

Rothschild’s Starling (Leucopsar rothschildi)

Status: Critically endangered (IUCN), Endangered (ESA)



Image source

The Rothchild’s starling is also known as the Bali starling or the Bali mynah. It is mainly restricted to the remaining savanna woodland situated within the West Bali National Park in the northwestern coastal area of the Indonesian island of Bali. Forest clearing for farmland creation, over-trapping, and ever-widening human settlements have greatly reduced its numbers. Despite the fact that recently begun captive–breeding programs have provided birds for reintroduction into the wild, the Rothchild’s starling remains critically endangered.

Madagascar Teal (Anas bernieri)

Status: Endangered (IUCN)



Image source

The Madagascar teal, also known as Bernier’s teal, is a small duck found only in the coastal wetlands of western Madagascar. A growing human population throughout its breeding range has caused extensive habitat loss. In particular, most of the shallow muddy waters that these ducks require for feeding have been converted into rice fields. The mangrove trees in which the teals build their nests have been cleared for fuel and timber. In the 1990s, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust initiated a highly successful breeding–in–captivity program.

Kirtland’s Warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii)

Status: Vulnerable (IUCN), Endangered (ESA)



Image source

Kirtland’s warbler is a small songbird species that nearly became extinct half-a-century ago. It prefers to nest and breed in large areas of dense young jack pines, which naturally develop as a result of intense wildfires. Almost the entire population spends the spring and summer in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and winters in the Bahamas. Though still endangered, its numbers have steadily risen since preservation of the bird’s habitat begun in the 1970s. People have also intervened to protect this bird against nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds, to which these birds are highly susceptible.

Scienceray