Rare Birds Yearbook
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Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Apr 16, 2008 |
Every day we hear about bird species in decline and new threats to birds around the world. In 2007 BirdLife International launched BirdLife Species Champions, a project to save the world’s critically endangered birds—all 189 of them. Now, BirdLife brings us the Rare Birds Yearbook, a book about the 189 threatened species and some of the efforts that are being made to save them from extinction.
The Rare Birds Yearbook is mostly about the birds themselves: species names, ranges, populations, threats, past conservation attempts and actions for the future. There are photographs and illustrations of the birds to complement the data. However, the yearbook also makes interesting reading because it contains articles about species with interesting backgrounds, some of the conservation projects already underway, and the people involved.
Birds face numerous threats: habitat destruction by industry and development; recreational incursions into wilderness; introduced predators such as cats, rats, and snakes; fishing practices; egg collecting; hunting; extreme weather; and global warming to name a few. This list makes it clear that humans bear much of the responsibility for the dwindling birds of the world.
Some humans are working hard to help our beleaguered birds, and publications like the Rare Birds Yearbook not only provide education but also directly help the effort: for every purchase, £4 goes to support BirdLife Species Champions. Find out more about the book from BirdLife International.
Birds on List of 189 Critically Endangered Species:
Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Campephilus principalis
California Condor, Gymnogyps californianus
Cozumel Thrasher, Toxostoma guttatum