Since research began, scientists have concluded that hundreds of bird species have become extinct due to the impact of human activities.
Anthrotropic activities cause environmental damage and destroy biodiversity from top to bottom, from predators like tigers to small insects and microorganisms. Birds have not been spared from this impact, and new research has raised alarm about these winged animals.
On relatively remote islands such as Hawaii, Tonga, Mauritius and the Azores, human impacts, including deforestation, hunting and the introduction of invasive species, have driven many bird species, such as the famous dodo, to extinction, according to researchers.
Scientists from the Center for Ecology and Hydrology in the UK and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden said: “While many birds have been reported missing since the 16th century, our knowledge of the fate of earlier species is based on fossils, and these records are limited because birds’ light bones decay over time.“. “This hides the true extent of global extinction“, you continued.
“Based on their research, the scientists estimate that up to 1,430 bird species, or almost 12% of bird species, have become extinct since the Late Pleistocene, about 130,000 years ago.”and the vast majority of them became extinct directly or indirectly due to human activities“. “This means that human influence on bird diversity is much greater than previously thought.“.
“Humans have rapidly devastated bird populations through habitat loss, overexploitation, and the introduction of rats, pigs, and dogs that attack bird nests and compete with them for food.. We were able to prove that many species became extinct before they were recorded and left a trace; they were lost to history “explained Rob Cook, lead author of the study.
The impact of humans on biodiversity and the resulting extinctions is not yet fully understood. But the data gives us clear warnings about our harmful effects on birds. Due to extreme pollution and climate change, as well as habitat loss, hunting and introduced invasive species, these impacts are now more severe than ever before.
Søren Faurby, lecturer at the University of Gothenburg, who took part in the study, emphasized: “The world may have lost not only many fascinating birds, but also their diverse ecological functions, which likely included key functions such as seed dispersal and pollination.“.
Forby added: “This will have had damaging cascading effects on ecosystems, so that in addition to the extinction of birds, we have also lost many plants and animals that depended on these species for their survival.”
Fossil finds of bird species
Fossil records show that 640 bird species have become extinct since the end of the Pleistocene, and 90% of them lived on human-inhabited islands. These extinct birds include the North Atlantic razorbill and the giant St. Helena hoopoe.
Another 790 unknown species are also believed to have gone extinct, leaving nearly 11,000 species of birds, many of which are at risk of extinction.
Scientists said the rate of bird deaths was “the largest human-caused vertebrate extinction event in history“In the 14th century alone, when humans first arrived in the Eastern Pacific, including Hawaii and the Cook Islands, 570 species of birds became extinct.” This number is almost 100 times higher than the natural extinction rate.
Another major extinction event occurred in the 9th century BC. Chr.: “This is largely due to the arrival of humans in the Western Pacific, including Fiji and the Mariana Islands, as well as the Canary Islands, and underscores the ongoing extinction that began in the 9th century BC. BC began in the middle of the 18th century“, say the experts.
And they added: “Since then, in addition to increased deforestation and the spread of invasive species, birds have faced other human-caused threats such as climate change, agricultural intensification and pollution.“.
The worry is that we could lose another 700 bird species in the next hundred years to another catastrophic extinction. “It is up to us whether more bird species become extinct or not. Recent conservation efforts have saved several species and we must now increase our efforts to protect birds through habitat restoration led by local communitiesCook said.
With information from: