Sharp declines in Puffin populations and other birdlife

THE International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) keeps tabs on plants and animals worldwide, writes Richard Collins

Each species is allocated a ‘conservation status’. The familiar birds of Irish gardens, for example, all receive a ‘Least concern’ designation; their populations are considered healthy and their prospects good. The Javan rhino, on the other hand, is deemed to be ‘Critically endangered’; its numbers are declining and extinction looms. ‘Near threatened’ ‘Vulnerable’ and ‘Endangered’ are categories between these extremes.

In the latest BirdLife International Red List, prepared on behalf of the IUCN, 24 bird species have been re-classified as ‘Endangered’. Six of Africa’s 11 vulture species, it’s feared, will become extinct if adequate protection measures aren’t taken. These, the most characteristic birds of prey, are being poisoned indiscriminately, their body parts used in traditional medicine. Poachers kill vultures because the birds, wheeling in the air above kills, attract attention to their illegal activities.