Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Cuckoo, 51 other Species, in Danger of Extinction

In news that has been all-too-common of late, 21% of Britain's bird species face extinction according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, including the famous cuckoo bird:

...the cuckoo and other birds that visit Britain in the summer have suffered population loss largely due to a decrease in food and water supply in sub-Saharan Africa, where many migrate from...The Sahara desert is spreading and the birds are having a hard time flying out in good condition...There isn't just one single problem, there are a host. The society said the cuckoo population in Britain has declined 37 percent since 1994.

At least it isn't all due to human activity, and the news is not all bad:

Six species did see a recovery in the past seven years, however. The report said the woodlark has seen a "dramatic" increase in population, as had the stone-curlew. Webb said these birds saw healthy gains thanks to an increased effort to maintain woodlands that would allow their numbers to grow.

1 comment:

parakeet said...

"At least it isn't all due to human activity,"

Is any of it?