A groundbreaking study reveals that human activities have led to the extinction of around 1,400 bird species, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect remaining avian diversity and prevent further losses.
Islands that were once pristine havens, such as Hawaii, Tonga, and the Azores, experienced drastic changes following human settlement. These changes included widespread deforestation, excessive hunting, and the introduction of non-native species, resulting in the loss of numerous bird species. Dr Søren Faurby of the University of Gothenburg, a co-author of the study, adds: “These historic extinctions have major implications for the current biodiversity crisis.
Observations and fossils show 640 bird species have been driven extinct since the Late Pleistocene period – 90 percent of these on islands inhabited by people. These range from the iconic Dodo of Mauritius to the Great Auk of the North Atlantic to the lesser-known Saint Helena Giant Hoopoe. But the researchers estimated there have been further 790 unknown extinctions, meaning a total of 1,430 lost species – leaving just under 11,000 today.
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