In 2018, scientists announced that three bird species vanished from the Earth for good, and more species on the brink could disappear forever in 2019. While last year in particular didn't see much wildlife extinction, the Earth is losing animal species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the natural rate. The natural rate is around one to five species lost each year. Here is a list of the species that we lost last year, and some that we're on the brink of losing:
Po'ouli
A small songbird native to Hawaii, the Po'ouli was discovered over 45 years ago. In 1981, its population topped some 150 birds, but saw a decline driven by invasive alien species, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Habitat destruction by feral pigs, being hunted by mongooses, cats and rats, mosquito-spread diseases and competition with birds introduced in the area all were factors in the Po'ouli's extinction. The last wild sighting of Hawaii's Po'ouli was in 2004, according to BirdLife International.
Alagoas Foliage-gleaner and Cryptic Treehunter
A pair of songbirds, the similar species called a sliver of the dense forest in northeastern Brazil home before deforestation ran wild in the region. The Alagoas Foliage-gleaner was discovered in 1975, Neotropical Birds lists, and it wasn't until 2002 that researchers discovered the Cryptic Treehunter was a new species of its own, according to BirdLife International. When the treehunter was discovered, it was immediately placed into the "Critically Endangered" category, like other unique birds in the region. The last sighting of the Cryptic Treehunter was in 2007, while the Alagoas Foliage-gleaner was last seen in 2011.
Spix's Macaw
The list's most vibrant bird, Spix's Macaw — a blue parrot native to Brazil and known for its onscreen role in 20th Century Fox's "Rio" — is believed to have gone extinct in the wild. The creation of a dam, trapping for trade and deforestation drove the decline in the Spix's Macaw wild population, but an estimated 60 to 80 still live in captivity, BirdLife International says. A 2016 sighting brought hope that the then-critically endangered species was still alive in the wild, but it was later believed to be one that escaped captivity.
Vaquita
Discovered in 1958, the vaquita is the world's rarest marine mammal and could go extinct any day, according to the World Wildlife Foundation. A small porpoise, the vaquita is the smallest cetacean species and calls the northern Gulf of California home. The vaquita's decline in population largely stems from being caught and drowned in illegal gillnet fishing equipment. Vaquita are the only of seven porpoise species that live in warm waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, sporting dark circles around their eyes and mouth. Less than 30 vaquita remain in the wild.
Northern White Rhino
In March 2018, Sudan, the last remaining male northern white rhino, died at the age of 45. With Sudan's passing, the total number remaining northern white rhinos dropped to just two — both of which are female and incapable of natural reproduction, according to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.Scientists have found that assisted reproduction is possible, but the fate of the subspecies relies on expensive and difficult procedures never before used in rhinos. The population's decline was caused by extensive poaching for their horns, the World Wildlife Foundation says.
Po'ouli
A small songbird native to Hawaii, the Po'ouli was discovered over 45 years ago. In 1981, its population topped some 150 birds, but saw a decline driven by invasive alien species, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Habitat destruction by feral pigs, being hunted by mongooses, cats and rats, mosquito-spread diseases and competition with birds introduced in the area all were factors in the Po'ouli's extinction. The last wild sighting of Hawaii's Po'ouli was in 2004, according to BirdLife International.
Alagoas Foliage-gleaner and Cryptic Treehunter
A pair of songbirds, the similar species called a sliver of the dense forest in northeastern Brazil home before deforestation ran wild in the region. The Alagoas Foliage-gleaner was discovered in 1975, Neotropical Birds lists, and it wasn't until 2002 that researchers discovered the Cryptic Treehunter was a new species of its own, according to BirdLife International. When the treehunter was discovered, it was immediately placed into the "Critically Endangered" category, like other unique birds in the region. The last sighting of the Cryptic Treehunter was in 2007, while the Alagoas Foliage-gleaner was last seen in 2011.
Spix's Macaw
The list's most vibrant bird, Spix's Macaw — a blue parrot native to Brazil and known for its onscreen role in 20th Century Fox's "Rio" — is believed to have gone extinct in the wild. The creation of a dam, trapping for trade and deforestation drove the decline in the Spix's Macaw wild population, but an estimated 60 to 80 still live in captivity, BirdLife International says. A 2016 sighting brought hope that the then-critically endangered species was still alive in the wild, but it was later believed to be one that escaped captivity.
Vaquita
Discovered in 1958, the vaquita is the world's rarest marine mammal and could go extinct any day, according to the World Wildlife Foundation. A small porpoise, the vaquita is the smallest cetacean species and calls the northern Gulf of California home. The vaquita's decline in population largely stems from being caught and drowned in illegal gillnet fishing equipment. Vaquita are the only of seven porpoise species that live in warm waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, sporting dark circles around their eyes and mouth. Less than 30 vaquita remain in the wild.
Northern White Rhino
In March 2018, Sudan, the last remaining male northern white rhino, died at the age of 45. With Sudan's passing, the total number remaining northern white rhinos dropped to just two — both of which are female and incapable of natural reproduction, according to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.Scientists have found that assisted reproduction is possible, but the fate of the subspecies relies on expensive and difficult procedures never before used in rhinos. The population's decline was caused by extensive poaching for their horns, the World Wildlife Foundation says.
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