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