Latest news with #birdspecies
Forbes
05-07-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Meet 2 Extinct Birds Of Mexico's Most Isolated Island. Hint: One Is A Type Of ‘Elf Owl'
You might be surprised to know that Mexico is home to over 1300 islands. Here are details on its ... More most remote island, as well as two beautiful bird species that have perished from its delicate ecosystem. Several factors cause some bird species to be more prone to extinction than others. One factor is range: birds limited to an island geography are more likely to go extinct than continental birds. And, the smaller and more remote the island, the greater the risk. This unfortunate fact has played out in islands all over the world. In Cuba, the Cuban kestrel likely vanished shortly after European colonization began in the 1500s. In Guadalupe Island, the Guadelupe caracara went extinct largely due to extermination efforts by 19th-century settlers who falsely thought the bird was a threat to livestock. This pattern can also be found in Mexico's most remote island, Socorro Island, which sits approximately 375 miles off the coast of Mexico's western shore. Here's the story of the two extinct bird species of Socorro Island. Socorro Elf Owl The Socorro elf owl is an extinct subspecies of elf owl, whose relatives range from the Southwest ... More U.S. to Central America. The Socorro elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi graysoni) was a tiny, nocturnal bird found in the arid forests of Socorro Island. A subspecies of the mainland elf owl, it was smaller and more furtive – adapted to life in the dense, shrubby habitat of the volcanic island. Sadly, it hasn't been seen since the early 20th century and is now presumed extinct. The primary driver of its extinction was likely the introduction of feral cats, brought to the island by naval crews and settlers. With no natural predators on Socorro prior to human arrival, the elf owl, along with other native species, had no defenses against the hunting prowess of these invasive predators. Habitat degradation caused by feral sheep also likely played a role in its decline, reducing the availability of nesting sites in tree hollows and shrubland. Socorro Dove The Socorro dove is extinct in the wild and was once found only on Mexico's remote Socorro Island. The Socorro dove (Zenaida graysoni) met a similar fate. Once abundant on the island, this ground-foraging dove – with an earthy red-brown plumage and a quiet, mournful call – disappeared from the wild by 1972. Like the elf owl, the Socorro dove suffered heavily from cat predation and habitat loss. Fortunately, it was saved from total extinction by a small captive population that had been sent to zoos in the U.S. and Europe decades earlier. Thanks to careful breeding programs, more than 100 individuals now exist in captivity, and reintroduction efforts are underway. Rebalancing The Delicate Ecosystem Of Socorro Island Were it not for the introduction of invasive cats and sheep to the island ecosystem, the elf owl and Socorro dove would have likely never perished. To that end, scientists and government officials have been working together to remove the invasive pests from the island. One such effort is described in a 2019 paper by a group of Mexican and American scientists, led by Antonio Ortiz-Alcaraz. The eradication of feral sheep began with aerial surveys and was carried out in stages between 2009 and 2012. Helicopter sharpshooters removed over 1,200 sheep in just one week of aerial hunting. The remaining animals were tracked using radio-collared 'Judas sheep' (sheep that serve to help locate remaining herds) and dispatched by ground teams. A total of 1,762 sheep were removed. Socorro Island, part of the Revillagigedo Archipelago, lies 375 miles off Mexico's Pacific coast and ... More harbors the highest level of island endemism in the country. At the same time, a feral cat eradication program began. Using over 250 baited trap sites and more than 50,000 trap-nights, researchers captured and euthanized over 500 cats by 2016. Trapping was most successful in the dry season, and efforts were aided by remote-trigger telemetry systems and night hunting. With both cats and sheep removed or drastically reduced, the fragile native ecosystem is showing signs of recovery, paving the way for the possible return of the Socorro dove to the wild. These efforts offer a hopeful model for island ecosystems struggling to absorb the impact of invasive predators and grazers. Are you an animal lover who owns a pet, perhaps even a pet bird? Take the science-backed Pet Personality Test to know how well you know your little friend.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A New Island Just Appeared From Out of Nowhere
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: A team of researchers discovered a new island in the Caspian Sea using space images. Cyclical sea changes, climate change, and shifting tectonic plates may all be reasons that the isle has breached the water's surface. Researchers anticipate the island becoming a valuable refuge for rare bird species and Caspian seals in the future. Although the ocean covers roughly 71% of Earth's surface, more than 80% of that ocean has yet to be mapped, explored, or even seen by humans. So, it isn't surprising that some stray land formations go unnoticed—like a whole new island in the northern part of the Caspian Sea, recently discovered by researchers from Russia. The currently unnamed island is located 19 miles southwest of Maly Zhemchuzhny Island, Russia. According to a translated report from TSS (a state-owned Russian news agency), a team from the P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (IO) of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) originally identified the formation in November of 2024 via imaging captured from space. The images showed a small sliver of dried bank peaking above the water (though this wasn't convincing enough evidence for some researchers). Since then, the team has made an expedition to the northern part of the island and officially confirmed its existence. However, researchers were unable to make landfall because of shallow waters and poor weather conditions. 'It is obvious that during the low-water period, when the water level is minimal, the island's elevation above the water's edge will be more significant,' the report reads. 'At the time of the survey, the island's surface was a damp flat plain complicated by ridges of sand waves.' The island's emergence is thanks to a perfect storm of events. 'The occurrence of new islands in the Caspian Sea is associated with cyclical processes of long-term fluctuations in the level of [these] landlocked waters,' Stepan Podolyako, a senior researcher at IO RAS, wrote in the statement to Live Science. 'Awash islands are uplifts on the seabed that come to the surface during periods of falling sea level.' And this isn't the first time the area has seen shallow waters—according to Podolyako, Caspian Sea water levels fell during the 1930s, 1970s, and the 2010s. He says the cyclical levels of the Caspian Sea depend partly on evaporation rates, so the water level could be attributed to climate change. The warming global temperatures associated with climate change speed up the water cycle (which includes evaporation), leaving certain areas in extreme droughts and others with overwhelming amounts of precipitation. Podolyako also cited tectonic plate shifts as a potential reason for the sea level changes. As for the future of the island, Podolyako said that the next expedition is planned for the latter half of 2025. Once researchers investigate the isle and identify any distinguishing features, the team will decide on a name. Excitingly, the IO RAS anticipates that the island may become a valuable nesting site for rare bird species and a rookery (or a breeding place of a colony) for Caspian seals. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Forbes
08-06-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Meet The ‘Horned' American Bird Last Seen On Martha's Vineyard 92 Years Ago — Now Lost To The World Forever
Birds, more than other animal groups, have had a horrific time with extinction, especially over the ... More past several hundred years. Here's one uniquely American example. The extinct heath hen (Tympanuchus cupido cupido) is historically interesting for a number of reasons, the first being that it is speculated to have been served at the Pilgrims' first thanksgiving. This speculation makes some sense. Heath hens were abundant along the United States' northeastern shoreline in the 1600s. Odds are it would have been easier to round up a few heath hens to serve at dinner than wild turkeys, though turkeys wouldn't have been a big ask either. In fact, heath hens came to be known as 'poor man's food' in the eighteenth century, as they were cheap and plentiful. And, yet, by 1932, the species was gone. The story of the heath hen underscores an important ecological point: just because a species is plentiful doesn't mean it is impervious to extinction. Take the American passenger pigeon, for example – once among the most numerous birds on Earth, with flocks so vast they were said to darken the skies for hours in the 1800s. But by 1914, it too had vanished, wiped out by relentless hunting and widespread habitat loss. (Sidebar: While humans have driven many bird species to extinction, the tables have occasionally turned. Meet four bird species known to attack humans – two with documented fatal consequences.) Here's the unfortunate tale of the heath hen, and why it went extinct so quickly. The heath hen, a subspecies of the greater prairie chicken, once thrived in the scrubby, coastal plains from Maine to Virginia. Its 'horns' – actually feathers on its head that males could raise during courtship displays – gave it a striking appearance. In the spring, males would gather in leks and perform dramatic dances, puffing out orange air sacs on their necks and stomping their feet to show dominance and vitality. These 'booming grounds,' as they were often called, could be used for generations, sometimes over a century. In parts of their range, the spectacle became such a draw that it even attracted tourists. A male greater prairie chicken in full spring display on the Midwestern prairie. The now-extinct ... More heath hen, once found along the eastern seaboard, performed similar courtship rituals on its own 'booming grounds' from New England to Virginia. The heath hen was unique as the only member of the North American prairie chickens (genus Tympanuchus) found along the eastern seaboard. Its geographic isolation gave rise to a genetically distinct population that was smaller in size and redder in color than greater prairie chickens from the Midwest. Sadly, the heath hen faced a rapid downfall. Overhunting was the first and most significant blow. By the early 1800s, the bird was already vanishing from much of its range. People hunted it with little restriction, often taking dozens in a day. Its reputation as cheap, easy protein made it a popular choice for colonists and later urban markets. Hunting wasn't the only threat. As the northeastern United States industrialized, the bird's scrubby, fire-maintained habitat was replaced with farms, towns and roads. Fire suppression policies also allowed forests to grow denser, making them less suitable for the heath hen, and increasing the risk of devastating fires. By the 1870s, the bird's range had contracted entirely to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. There, a small, isolated population struggled on for decades. Conservationists attempted to save it, even establishing a reserve, but it was too little, too late. Disease, harsh winters, fires, inbreeding, and predators all took their toll. The final blow came quietly. By 1929, only one known heath hen remained: a lonely male named 'Booming Ben.' He continued his courtship displays in vain for three years, calling for a mate who would never arrive. After 1932, he was never seen again. Today, the heath hen serves as a poignant reminder: even a species that seems secure can vanish within the span of a human lifetime. But if there's a silver lining, it's that the effort to save the heath hen marked one of the earliest coordinated attempts to prevent the extinction of an American bird. Although it came too late, the lessons it offered helped lay the foundation for future conservation successes – like the recovery of the whooping crane, trumpeter swan and wood duck. In this way, the loss of the heath hen helped shape a more hopeful path for the species that followed. Does thinking about the extinction of a species instantly change your mood? Take the Connectedness to Nature Scale to see where you stand on this unique personality dimension.
