The Holocene extinction, also referred to as the Anthropocene extinction, is an ongoing extinction event caused by human activities during the Holocene epoch. This extinction event spans numerous families of plants and animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates, impacting both terrestrial and marine species. Widespread degradation of biodiversity hotspots such as coral reefs and rainforests has exacerbated the crisis. Many of these extinctions are undocumented, as the species are often undiscovered before their extinctions.
The Indochinese green magpie, also known as the yellow-breasted magpie, is a small colorful bird native to the forests of China all the way to Vietnam.
The ʻāmaui or Oahu thrush was a subspecies of the olomaʻo endemic to the island of Oahu. It was the first member of its genus to become extinct, c. 1850. Some taxonomic authorities consider it a distinct species, but the International Ornithological Congress presently classifies it as a subspecies of M. lanaiensis.
The elfin woods warbler is a species of bird endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is local and uncommon. Discovered in 1968 and described in 1972, it is the most recently described New World warbler.
Aguijan is a small bean-shaped uninhabited coralline island in the Northern Mariana Islands chain in the Pacific Ocean. It is situated 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) south-west of Tinian, from which it is separated by the Tinian Channel. Aguijan and neighboring Tinian Island together form Tinian Municipality, one of the four main political divisions that comprise the Northern Marianas. The island is inhabited by wild goats and the last known habitat of a rare Pacific bat, as well as many species of birds. During WW2 a Japanese garrison was on the island, which surrendered at the end of the War without a battle. Access to the island is inhibited by the lack of a natural harbor.
Bird conservation is a field in the science of conservation biology related to threatened birds. Humans have had a profound effect on many bird species. Over one hundred species have gone extinct in historical times, although the most dramatic human-caused extinctions occurred in the Pacific Ocean as humans colonised the islands of Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia, during which an estimated 750–1,800 species of birds became extinct. According to Worldwatch Institute, many bird populations are currently declining worldwide, with 1,200 species facing extinction in the next century. The biggest cited reason surrounds habitat loss. Other threats include overhunting, accidental mortality due to structural collisions, long-line fishing bycatch, pollution, competition and predation by pet cats, oil spills and pesticide use and climate change. Governments, along with numerous conservation charities, work to protect birds in various ways, including legislation, preserving and restoring bird habitat, and establishing captive populations for reintroductions.
The white-bellied imperial pigeon is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae. First described by the French ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854, it is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found on Sulawesi, Buton, Taliabu, Togian, and Peleng. It inhabits primary forest, dense secondary forest, and isolated areas of hill forest. A large pigeon with a long tail, it measures 42.5–51.5 cm (16.7–20.3 in) long and weighs 510 g (18 oz) on average. Males are mainly green, with pale-grey heads and bellies, chestnut vents, and a pale grey tail band, along with a red orbital ring. Females are nearly identical, but have darker grey areas in their plumage.
Myzomela is a genus of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. It is the largest genus of honeyeaters, with 40 species, and the most geographically widespread. It ranges from Indonesia to Australia and into the islands of the Pacific Ocean as far as Micronesia and Samoa. several species are named for the islands they were discovered or live on.
The Sulawesi myzomela is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Indonesia where it occurs in Sulawesi, Taliabu, Selayar and Tanah Jampea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
The red-headed myzomela or red-headed honeyeater is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It was described by John Gould in 1840. Two subspecies are recognised, with the nominate race M. e. erythrocephala distributed around the tropical coastline of Australia, and M. e. infuscata in New Guinea. Though widely distributed, the species is not abundant within this range. While the IUCN lists the Australian population of M. e. infuscata as being near threatened, as a whole the widespread range means that its conservation is of least concern.
The Micronesian myzomela is a species of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. The species forms a superspecies with a number of related and similar looking island and mainland myzomelas across the Pacific and Australasia. It in turn is composed of seven insular subspecies.
Bird extinction is the complete elimination of all species members under the taxonomic class, Aves. Out of all known bird species,, 159 (1.4%) have become extinct, with 226 (2%) being critically endangered. There is a general consensus among ornithologists that if anthropogenic activities continue as current trends suggest, one-third of all bird species, and an even greater proportion of bird populations, will be rendered extinct by the end of the 21st century.
De-extinction is the process of generating an organism that either resembles or is an extinct species. There are several ways to carry out the process of de-extinction. Cloning is the most widely proposed method, although genome editing and selective breeding have also been considered. Similar techniques have been applied to certain endangered species, in hopes to boost their genetic diversity. The only method of the three that would provide an animal with the same genetic identity is cloning. There are benefits and drawbacks to the process of de-extinction ranging from technological advancements to ethical issues.
The Sierra Madre ground warbler is a species of passerine bird in the family Locustellidae. It is endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines, where it is found in the northeastern and eastern foothills of the Sierra Madre. Its habitat is in tropical moist lowland and the lower reaches of tropical montane forest. It was formerly conspecific and forms a species complex with the Cordillera ground warbler and Bicol ground warbler, which are some of most elusive birds in the country due to their extremely shy nature.While not officially threatened, its population is said to be declining due to habitat destruction through deforestation.
The Alor myzomela is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae, the honeyeaters. It is endemic to the Indonesian island of Alor, where it is the only representative member of the genus Myzomela. It is named after Dewi Malia Prawiradilaga, an ornithologist at the Indonesian Institute of Science and one of the first leading female Indonesian ornithologists.
The Peleng fantail is a fantail endemic to the mountainous areas of Peleng island in Indonesia. It can be distinguished from other species of fantail by the black scaling below its black breast patch, bright white throat, and distinct courtship vocalization. It was described in 2020 alongside 9 other new species and subspecies of birds endemic to islands in Wallacea. All of them were discovered in surveys during 2009 and 2013, the largest discovery of its kind in over a century. It may be potentially threatened by deforestation and climate change-fueled wildfires.
The Taliabu leaf warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the family Phylloscopidae. It was first described in 2020 and was named after Prof Emil Salim, a former Minister of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia and eminent environmentalist. It is found in the undisturbed montane forest on Taliabu Island in Indonesia from 700m up to probably the highest elevations above 1,400m. The species may also occur on the large neighboring Mangole Island.
The Peleng leaf warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the family Phylloscopidae. It was first described in 2020. The species name is derived from "suara merdu" in Indonesian, translating as "melodious voice", referring to the pleasing vocalizations of this bird. This leaf warbler is restricted to the highland forests of western Peleng in the Banggai Archipelago, in Indonesia at elevations above 700m, reaching the highest island altitude above 1000m.
The Taliabu bush warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is endemic to the island regency of Taliabu in Indonesia.
