Birdlife International released a report last week showing that one in eight bird species worldwide are at the threat of extinction. According to the report State of the world’s birds, 1,313 species of bird are threatened worldwide. The majority (55%) are classified as ‘vulnerable’ which is the lowest level of danger but 30% are classified as ‘endangered’ and 15% as ‘critically endangered’.
The study shows that Brazil is the country with the greatest share of endangered bird species, unsurprising as it’s one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world with a wide variety of bird species. 152 species are endangered and of these, 73 are endemic (only found in Brazil).
According to the organisation, the main threats to birds are habitat destruction through deforestation and farming, the introduction of exotic species, air and water pollution and climate change. The study estimates that in order to protect these species, there needs to be an investment of roughly $80 billion a year on bird conservation.
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