Threatened Birds of Manipur As per IUCN Red List of threatened species, 2014

The first Red Data book bird was published by the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP) in 2000 and Threatened Birds of the world by Birdlife International. Birdlife International is the official data and information provider of the states of the avian species to the IUCN. It is the official IUCN Red List Authority for birds and in this capacity coordinates the categorization and documentation of all bird species in the IUCN Red List. The Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) under Bombay Natural History (BNHS) is the official Red List Authority and data provider of the Indian sub-continent to the Birdlife International/ IUCN and in the same line Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN), Manipur Chapter is the official Red List Authority and data provider of Manipur state to BNHS. 

There are about 10,000 species of birds globally. Out of these 1,313 bird species are threatened with extinction which is 13% of the total global species. In a more simple way one in every hundred bird species of the world is threatened with extinction as per Birdlife International assessment using the criteria of IUCN. 

India has a rich avian diversity of 1,314 species which is more or less the same number of globally threatened species in its 2.4% of the world's geographical area and is host to 7% of the global biodiversity. The geographical area of Manipur state is merely 0.67% or less than 1% of the geographical area of the country but supports more than 746 species of birds which is 56.77% of all bird species of India. But this little known state and paradise of the birds and its rolling blue mountain forest ranges home to this beautiful bird species is the most threatened forest of the world as reported by Conservation International. 

Abundance of species diversity and population does not immunize a species from extinction as in the case of Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), the most abundant bird on the surface of the earth was declared extinct in 1914 due to selective hunting. Martha, thought to be the world's last passenger pigeon, died on September 1, 1914, at the Cincinnati Zoo of United States of America. 

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