Traits That Predict Increased Extinction Risk For Australian Birds
Phylogenetically unique Australian birds that live on islands are amongst those species most at risk of extinction, according to a new study
Critically endangered swift parrot, Lathamus discolor, Callum Brae Nature Reserve, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia. (Credit: David Cook / CC BY-NC 4.0 Deed | Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International)
Are some birds more likely to go extinct than others? What traits do they share that makes them more susceptible to extinction? Knowing the answers to these questions are important for helping conserve wild birds before they’re gone forever.
Almost half of all bird species alive today are experiencing population declines, and one in eight species are threatened with extinction. The main threats to birds since 1600 CE have been habitat loss, human persecution, and introduced predators (ref). But, that said, avian extinction risks are not randomly or evenly distributed across the entire family tree: some groups of birds are more likely to go extinct than others. A new study has found that, globally, the traits that make particular bird species most vulnerable to extinction include larger body size and lower fecundity, with some taxonomic groups being more threatened species than others, particularly albatross and parrots (ref).
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