(Commonwealth Union)_ According to major research which warns that human actions are pushing more species to the edge of extinction and that nature is in crisis, the majority of the bird species are in decline and one in eight are on the verge of extinction. The four-yearly State of the World’s Birds report, which gives a picture of the worldwide crisis of species and, more generally, a barometer for biodiversity, coincides with the United Nations’ leadership of an international effort to conserve the environment.
According to the latest report from BirdLife International, “One in eight bird species is threatened with extinction, and the status of the world’s birds continues to deteriorate: species are moving ever faster towards extinction”. In reference to the data from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the analysis found that 49 percent of bird species populations are decreasing globally, with declines occurring even in species that are not typically uncommon or endangered. “The natural world is in trouble. Human actions are driving species rapidly towards extinction, undermining ecosystem functions and services vital to our own survival,” the report added.
Approximately 13 percent are deemed to be threatened. The primary hazards are unsustainable agricultural expansion, deforestation, invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change. The majority of bird populations face several human-caused challenges. According to decades of research data from BirdLife International, there are currently 2.9 billion fewer birds in North America than there were in 1970, which is a 29 percent decrease. Since 1980, the European Union has recorded a net loss of over 600 million birds, or nearly 18 percent. In both scenarios, long-distance migratory birds and farmland birds suffer the most severe losses.
According to Birdlife, several important bird conservation zones were in bad condition and urged for a global effort to safeguard and repair habitats. In December, countries will convene to finalize a treaty to stop the erosion of biodiversity and put mankind on a path to living in peace with the environment by the middle of the century. According to Patricia Zurita, the director of BirdLife International, the framework under discussion is the world’s greatest and maybe final chance to prevent the loss of nature and restore biodiversity. “The birds and the rest of nature are depending on us. And we are depending on them,” she said.
