Another wave of bird extinctions in the Americas?

Another wave of bird extinctions in the Americas?

Several bird species are taking their final bows on the global evolutionary stage, and winking out. The situation in northeast Brazil is particularly dire.

By Alexander C. Lees, Cornell University and Jacob B. Socolar, Princeton University

In the shady recesses of unassuming forest patches in eastern Brazil, bird species are taking their final bows on the global evolutionary stage, and winking out.

These are obscure birds with quaint names: Alagoas Foliage-Gleaner, Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl, Cryptic Treehunter. But their disappearance portends a turning point in a global biodiversity crisis.

Bird extinctions are nothing new. Human activity has already wiped out over a thousand species. But the vast majority of these occurred on oceanic islands. Today, although island species remain disproportionately threatened, we are witnessing a historic shift towards the endangerment of continental species of birds. The Alagoas Foliage-Gleaner, last seen in 2011, looks increasingly like the tip of an iceberg.

This new wave of threats, driven primarily by habitat loss, is deeply troubling because South American forests are home to such a concentration of bird diversity, yet our conservation strategies are still a work in progress.

More:
http://earthsky.org/earth/another-wave-of-bird-extinctions-in-the-americas