Climate Change is Driving One in Six Australian Birds to Imminent Extinction

According to a once-in-a-decade research, one in every six Australian birds is now vulnerable, indicating that the climate emergency is driving species closer to extinction.

Bird Action Plan

The bird action plan results from a significant scientific investigation coordinated by Stephen Garnett of Charles Darwin University and involving over 300 bird specialists.

It reveals that 216 of 1,299 species are threatened, up from 195 in 2011, with the climate issue forcing new birds onto the list or raising the threat level of those already endangered.

Various At-Risk Species

There are 17 birds found in Queensland's cooler, higher-elevation rainforests that are either new to the list or are significantly more endangered than they were a decade ago.

The fernwren, a little brown bird with a booming cry, has seen its population drop by 57 percent since 2000, moving it from near-threatened to endangered status.

The golden bowerbird, which is now classified near-threatened, and Victoria's riflebird, which is new to the list as a vulnerable species, are among the others.

According to Sean Dooley of BirdLife Australia, there were 6 million fewer individuals in those 17 species in 2011 than there were in 2011, and "that is almost unmistakably due to climate change."

"One of the most striking aspects of the action plan is how swiftly climate change is affecting our birds," he added.

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The rufous scrub-bird and the south-eastern glossy black-cockatoo are two of the eight birds in New South Wales that have become more vulnerable due to the 2019-20 bushfires.

Another species, the grey range thick-billed grasswren of western NSW, was discovered to have increased numbers due to the previous action plan's heightened monitoring effort. However, its population is still estimated to be just 50 to 60 individuals.

Two species are potentially extinct of the 216 threatened species, 21 are extremely endangered, 74 are endangered, 87 are vulnerable, and 32 are near-threatened.

According to the study, 96 species are in worse shape than a decade ago, necessitating their inclusion in a higher concern category. Authorities assessed the conservation status of 23 birds to have improved, and they may be downlisted.

The study, according to Garnett, is a "combination of anxiety that we're going to lose some creatures" but also demonstrates that "we don't have to give up; there's a lot we can do to make a difference."

He said the federal government's independent threatened species scientific committee was reviewing several of the birds proposed for threatened status in the plan. At the same time, the Mukarrthippi grasswren had been recommended for critically endangered status under NSW regulations.

Outlining Conservation Efforts

The plan outlines activities that conservationists may implement to enhance the trajectory of many species, such as better fire control and predator elimination.

Garnett said numerous species on King Island, off the coast of Tasmania, such as the King Island brown thornbill and the King Island scrubtit, would benefit if land destruction on the island was stopped.

The study highlights species where targeted conservation efforts have resulted in increased population numbers, such as the Norfolk Island green parrot, which has moved from severely endangered to vulnerable status due to nest protection efforts.

"The findings clearly show that unless we make changes, many species will continue to decrease or go extinct," he stated.

"However, we have some clear guidance in our study on how to prevent these results." The 2020 study also shows how well-resourced and conducted conservation efforts may turn things around."

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