Endangered Australian bird losing love song skills as numbers fall

The critically endangered regent honeyeater is at risk of forgetting its own language (Murray Chambers/PA)

Ecologists are trying to teach one of Australia’s most at-risk birds its own songs as plummeting numbers mean fledglings are unable to learn their rich “song culture” from older peers.

The regent honeyeater, found in wooded areas south-eastern Australia, is now listed as critically endangered with habit loss the primary driver of its decline.