Compiled by | Wen Lele
An analysis of data from the entire African continent shows that the numbers of dozens of African raptors are rapidly decreasing, with many species considered at risk of extinction. The findings were published on January 4th in Nature - Ecology and Evolution.The study showed that the development of agriculture and the use of pesticides, poisoning by hunters, and the proliferation of infrastructure that can be fatal to birds, such as power lines, have resulted in a decrease in the numbers of almost all 42 bird species surveyed.For example, the population of vultures has decreased by 85% over three generations; the population of eagles has decreased by 90% over three generations; and the population of short-tailed eagles has decreased by 87% over three generations.The study found that some bird species that were considered less prone to extinction are now becoming more vulnerable. For instance, the population of African hawks, currently listed as the "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is estimated to have decreased by 91%.Some people are calling for these species to be placed in higher conservation status to reflect this change. "We certainly hope that this paper will exert pressure and lead to the inclusion of other currently threatened species in the protected list," said Darcy Ogada, one of the authors of the paper and a member of the Peregrine Fund in the United States.The data was collected from more than 53,000 sightings of 42 bird species during the investigation path of nearly 100,000 kilometers in Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Cameroon, Botswana, and Kenya between 1969 and 2020. Some of the data also comes from the recent Southern African Bird Atlas Project, a citizen science-led survey.The researchers found that in unprotected areas, the decline in the numbers of the 42 bird species was more than twice that of protected areas, indicating the vital importance of well-managed national parks and reserves for the long-term survival of birds.
Further work is needed to understand the fate of these birds. Ogada said, "We should immediately strengthen research to assess the population trends of raptors by simulating the loss of threatened habitats such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands, or the loss and mismanagement of protected areas."
Related Paper Information:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02236-0
China Science News (2024-01-08 Edition 2 International)Editor | Li YunLayout | Zhi HaiPlease scan the QR code below for 3 seconds
