World’s 100 Rarest Birds Identified by Scientists (one in 8 all species of birds is now threatened)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.care2.com/causes/worlds-100-rarest-birds-identified-by-scientists.html

by Alicia GraefApril 16, 20145:30 pm



From large to small and colorful to camouflaged, birds have long captured the interest and curiosity of bird watchers and nature enthusiasts, but continued threats to their survival leave many with questionable futures.

Scientists from Yale University, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and collaborating universities have taken on the task of identifying who the rarest species are and have come up with a list of the world’s 100 most unique and rare birds according to how Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) they are as part of the EDGE program, which is working to identify the most vulnerable species on the planet.

According to EDGE, one in eight species of birds is now threatened with extinction. Not only are the birds featured on the list living close to the brink, but they are considered highly unique because of the way they look, live and behave.

After examining some 10,000 bird species from around the world scientists based their findings on both how unique they are and how threatened they are to identify the top 100. Their findings were published in the journal Current Biology.


FULL story at link.