Conservationists in global hunt for 47 ‘long-lost’ birds

THE hunt is on for 47 “long-lost” species of bird in an attempt to discover if they have managed to escape extinction.

Birdlife International is launching a global attempt to try to confirm the existence of the critically endangered birds, which in some cases have not been seen for more than 180 years.

The list of birds which could have become extinct includes the slender-billed curlew, one of the last verified sightings of which was in Britain a decade ago. Other species targeted by the international coalition of bird conservation groups include birds found in remote forests or islands, in parts of the US and Europe and in the Himalayas. Some may be difficult to track down, such as the Archer’s lark which is found in the war zones of Somalia, while some have not been seen for generations, including the hooded seedeater of South America which has not been recorded since 1823.

If scientists are unable to find many of those on the list, which accounts for almost a quarter of the bird species considered to be critically endangered, it could mean the extinction crisis is worse than feared.

A failure to confirm the continued existence of the lost birds would increase the number which have gone the way of the dodo and passenger pigeon from its current levels of some 133 species since 1500.

But conservationists are hopeful that some of the birds could be rediscovered like the Cebu flowerpecker, which was found again “at the eleventh hour” before its last remaining Philippines forest home was destroyed.

Marco Lambertini, Birdlife International’s chief executive, said: “The mention of species such as the ivory-billed woodpecker, Jamaican petrel, hooded seedeater, Himalayan quail, and pink-headed duck will set scientists’ pulses racing.

“Some of these species haven’t been seen by any living person, but birdwatchers around the world still dream of rediscovering these long lost ghosts.”

He added: “History has shown us that we shouldn’t give up on species that are feared to have gone to their graves because some, such as the Cebu flowerpecker, have been rediscovered long after they were feared extinct, providing hope for the continued survival of other long-lost species.”

Rediscoveries could allow scientists to study their needs and threats and establish conservation efforts to save them and their habitat.

Grahame Madge, of the RSPB which is a member of Birdlife International, said it was imperative to give the birds a last chance before they were “written off”.

“We need to find if they still exist and bring in conservation measures to try and save them,” he said.

“We’re hopeful many of these species still exist, although some may well have gone. For those that remain, clearly the first thing we need to do is ensure we know where they are, which gives us an opportunity to study their ecology as we know little about what their needs and threats are. Once we have scientists studying them, it’s much easier to ensure their remaining sites are protected.”

The quest to find lost species is being announced at the 21st British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water, which is set to attract more than 20,000 British birdwatchers. Money raised at the event will help fund the searches.