Nearly 100 bird species face increased risk of extinction in the Amazon
Source: The Guardian
Nearly 100 bird species face increased risk of extinction in the Amazon
Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 7 June 2012 00.01 BST
Birds in the Amazon are under increasing threat from deforestation, while large populations of duck have disappeared from northern Europe, and vultures are under intensifying attack in Africa, according to the latest survey of the world's birds.
The Rio Branco Antbird has been singled out for particular concern – it lives in the Amazon, but its relatively long lifespan makes it more vulnerable than some other species to even moderate deforestation. The Hoary-throated Spinetail is predicted to lose more than 80% of its habitat in the same region, putting it on the "critically endangered" list, meaning the species faces serious risk of extinction.
According to BirdLife International's update for 2012 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, close to 100 species of birds across the Amazon region are now at a greatly increased threat of extinction.
"We have previously underestimated the risk of extinction that many of Amazonia's bird species are facing," said Leon Bennun, director of science, policy and information at BirdLife. "However, given the recent weakening of Brazilian forest law, the situation may be even worse than recent studies have predicted."
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Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/07/amazon-bird-species-extinction
