“THREATENED Birds of the World”, the most authoritative and comprehensive assessment ever published on the status of any of the worlds threatened animal species group, was launched by Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan at the recently-held World Conservation Union (IUCN) World Congress in Amman. The new publication notes that a shocking 12 per cent of all birds on the earth are now at risk of extinction.

While noting that the extinction trend facing the world’s birds is but a reflection of many global environmental problems, the publication emphasises the point that the global extinction crisis could be reversed by implementing a landmark rescue package that combines practical solutions and policy commitments.

“We need to act urgently and on a scale greater than anything previously achieved,” said BirdLife International director and chief executive, Dr Michael Rands.

“Threatened Birds of the World sets out the specific practical actions and solutions required to save these species from extinction.”

Queen Noor of Jordan, honourary president of BirdLife International, describes the effort as a fight to rescue global assets and a quality of life for nature and humanity. “If we act now to address the urgent needs identified within these pages, we can ensure a better future for the worlds birds, for ourselves and for our children,” said HM Queen Noor.

This new assessment shows that the number of bird species threatened with global extinction rose dramatically by 75 from 1,111 in 1994 to 1,186 in 2000 — a shocking 12 per cent of all bird species. Of the new total, 99 per cent are at risk of extinction from human activities such as deforestation, intensive agriculture, longline fishing, hunting and trapping. Alarmingly, the extinction rate for birds continues to rise.

The current rate is 50 times greater than the prehistoric or ‘natural’ rate, and is predicted to rise to 250 times greater within the next generation. Of grave concern is the movement of an overall total of 100 species into the two highest threat category lists in the last six years.

For the first time the assessment also sets out potential solutions to the crisis, identifies the practical actions required to save species from extinction, and sets specific conservation targets to be met by 2005, which includes aiming to reduce the total number of threatened bird species by 10 per cent. BirdLife Jamaica, the only partner of BirdLife International in the Caribbean will work to implement these strategies within Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

Jamaica, which has more endemic birds than any other island in the Caribbean and almost the highest rate of unique bird species of any other oceanic island worldwide, has 10 globally threatened and near threatened species. At least three Jamaican endemic birds have become extinct since the 1800s.

Contributed by Leo Douglas, media relations officer (BirdLife Jamaica) e-mail: leodouglas@cwjamaica.com.