1,226 Bird Species Threatened By Climate Change

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world oldest and largest global environmental network, is doing an excellent job of allerting the world about the negative impact of climate change to bird species. The 2008 IUCN Red List gives us useful intormation of the threathened species of birds owed to long-term drought, sudden extreme weather and loss of breeding habitats. Top Ten countries listed for threatened bird species are: Brazil, Indonesia, Peru, China, Philippines, Colombia, India, Ecuador, United States, and New Zealand. Just to take one example of the birds that have been uplisted from “Endangered” to “Critically Endangered”,
Spoon-billed Sandpiper. About 57% of their breeding habitat could be destroyed by 2070. An admirable work is being done in this area by an NGO, Bird Life International. Spoon-billed Sandpiper is now on their list of “Species Champions” of the Preventing Extinction Programme targetting 190 critically endangered birds that are on the 2008 IUCN Red List. Bird Life International finds
Species Champions who will fund the work of nominated ‘Species Guardians’ for each bird. Organizations and individuals best placed to carry out the conservation work necessary to prevent the loss of the bird species in all regions can join them in this very creative programme. Birds are under enormous pressure from Climate Change. This gigantic efforts by IUCN and Bird Life International are worthy of our support no matter where we live in the world.

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