From albatrosses soaring graceful-ly over the high seas and chicken- like Maleos digging nests deep in remote rainforests to Emperor Penguins fishing to depths over half a kilometre underwater and Peregrine Falcons nesting high on skyscrapers towering over great metropolises, birds can be found almost anywhere on earth and are a key indicator of the health of the planet.
As a world leader in conservation science, Bird Life publishes its landmark State of the World’s Birds report every four years. The document is an extraordinary summary of data tirelessly collected by researchers, conservationists and citizen scientists alike, highlighting the plight of the avian world, the key threats it faces and the urgent measures needed to protect it. Given that bird calls echo across nearly every corner of the world, it tells us about more than just the health of this extraordinarily diverse group, but also that of nature as a whole.
However, the latest edition of State of the World’s Birds paints the most concerning picture for nature yet. Nearly half of the world’s bird species are in decline, with only six per cent having increasing populations. One in eight species (or 1409 species in total) are now threatened with extinction. Nearly three billion birds are estimated to have been lost since 1970 in North America alone and a further 600 million have been lost in the European Union – an area five times smaller – since 1980.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January/February 2023-Ausgabe von African Birdlife.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January/February 2023-Ausgabe von African Birdlife.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
footloose IN FYNBOS
The Walker Bay Diversity Trail is a leisurely hike with a multitude of flowers, feathers and flavours along the way.
water & WINGS
WATER IS LIFE. As wildlife photographer Greg du Toit knows better than most.
winter wanderer
as summer becomes a memory in the south, the skies are a little quieter as the migrants have returned to the warming north. But one bird endemic to the southern African region takes its own little winter journey.
when perfect isn't enough
Egg signatures and forgeries in the cuckoo-drongo arms race
Southern SIGHTINGS
The late summer period naturally started quietening down after the midsummer excitement, but there were still some classy rarities on offer for birders all over the subregion. As always, none of the records included here have been adjudicated by any of the subregion's Rarities Committees.
prey for penguins
To stem the African Penguin's slide to extinction, government support for optimal no-take zones around South Africa's penguin colonies is critical.
agrochemicals and birds
By the year 2050, it is estimated that 171 million more hectares of agricultural land will be needed to feed a global population of 10 billion people.
arrivals and departures
The Mouse-Free Marion Project is committed to ensuring that breeding seabirds can return to a predator-free Marion Island.
MIDRAND marvel
Gauteng birders don't need to travel far to get their feathery fix. Midway between Johannesburg and Pretoria, Glen Austin Pan has become a favourite patch for this returnee expat.
a journey through the mysteries of moult
As a bird researcher in South Africa’s botanically diverse fynbos biome, I have come to regard bird ringing as part of my journey to understanding moult.