Scientists are searching for more than 120 species of birds that may or may not be extinct, and they want you to help them find them.
The proliferation of smartphones has led to a surge in data from birdwatchers and researchers, with apps allowing amateur birdwatchers to film and record their sightings. The amount of data available was so vast that a group of ornithologists decided to analyze it to see which species had not yet appeared.
Researchers from American Bird Conservancy and Birdlife UK have collected more than 42 million bird photos, recordings and videos and uploaded them to the citizen scientist app. In a study published in Frontiers of Ecology and Environmentthey revealed that 144 species of birds had not been seen in more than 10 years. The analysis was completed two years ago, during which time many species were either discovered in the wild or in human captivity, or had their classifications reclassified. A total of 126 species in the study are still missing.
This doesn’t mean the birds are extinct. In fact, researchers say only 62 percent of unseen birds are at risk of extinction. Instead, the species is classified as “lost.” A 2022 paper notes that there is no formal definition of lost species, but describes them as those that “have fallen off the scientific radar” because they are not seen in the wild and are not kept in zoos or other artificial spaces medium, up to ten years or more. Despite the constant danger and rarity, lost species have a habit of reappearing.
“Birds are the most well-documented group of animals on Earth, and it’s a testament to just how much people love them that only about one percent of the world’s bird species have escaped recording in the past decade,” who served in the U.S. said Cameron Rutt of. “However, within this one percent, there are many highly threatened species that have gone unrecorded for decades. Finding these birds is crucial to preventing them from slipping into extinction.
This study only reinforces something ABC has known for a long time. In 2021, the organization challenges bird watchers to help find 10 of the rarest species on Earth, all of which may be classified as lost. The next year, one of these birds, the Santa Marta pheasant, was discovered in northern Colombia, according to the New York Times.
In addition to helping identify missing species, citizen scientists may be the key to finding them again, said John C. Mittermeier, director of ABC’s Search for Missing Birds.
“It feels like a detective story to figure out why these birds are lost and then try to find them,” he said. “While some species on the list will be very challenging and may even be impossible to find, other species may reveal themselves relatively quickly if one gets to the right place. Whatever the case, working closely with locals and citizen scientists is a key The best way to find missing birds and start conservation efforts to ensure these species don’t disappear again.
The phenomenon of species loss is not limited to birds. Since 2017, Global Wildlife Conservation has maintained a list of 2,200 lost species from around the world. Since its inception, only 13 of these species have been discovered.