Australian birds that live on islands are among the species most at risk of extinction, a first-of-its-kind study from The Australian National University (ANU) has shown. The study is published in the journal Emu—Austral Ornithology.
Australian birds that live on islands are among the species most at risk of extinction, a first-of-its-kind study from The Australian National University (ANU) has shown. The study is published in the journal Emu—Austral Ornithology.
Australia has more than 750 native bird species. But lead-author Dr. George Olah said many of them are facing an uncertain future. « The numbers are quite sad. By 2020 eight species were already considered extinct, and 10% were threatened with extinction, » he said.
« But if we understand more about the factors that increase extinction risk, we can better prioritize conservation efforts. Some species are more prone to extinction than others—we wanted to find out why. »
Dr. Olah and his team found three factors that were particularly significant. « Firstly, species living only on islands were much more likely to be at risk of extinction. Think of the emblematic swift parrot and orange-bellied parrot of Tasmania, both considered critically endangered, » Dr. Olah said. « This may be because they are less well prepared for the threats posed by introduced species like rats, cats and other mammals.
