A sad day for bird lovers, conservationists, and nature in general: the Atlantic puffin and three other birds in the United Kingdom have been declared vulnerable and are steps closer to extinction.
Slavonian grebes, pochards, and European turtle doves joined puffins in making it to the “Red List” of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), where the UK now has eight bird species tagged “vulnerable.”
While the country’s vulnerable birds doubled in number, another 14 species are deemed “near threatened,” which reflects further dips in their numbers that could lead to the threat of becoming extinct.
According to Dr. Richard Gregory, head of species monitoring at charity group Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the red listing is driven by declines in the continent where most of the population is, specifically in Iceland and Norway.
“[The] puffin and turtle dove [are] now facing the same level of extinction threat as African elephant and lion, and… more endangered than the humpback whale,” he warned.
However, there is some good news: the European Roller was downlisted from “near threatened” to “least concerned.” A total of 23 species were downlisted as a sign of decreased threat.
The “vulnerable” status trails behind the “critically endangered” and “endangered” categories.
The Atlantic puffin’s population, while still in the millions, has been beset by “worryingly high” breeding failures at key colonies at recent times.
Turtle doves across Europe, too, have declined in numbers by more than 30 percent in the last 16 years. The reduced count of these birds is particularly high in the UK, which has been seen to lose nine of out 10 in the species since the 1970s.
Experts also noted the marked decline of nesting pochards and overwintering ducks, as well as the Slavonian grebe’s significant decrease in numbers, mostly found in North America.
Other birds in the UK made it to the “near threatened” list, including oystercatchers, know, lapwings, and bar-tailed godwit, joining already-listed species such as the curlew.
In 2014, the UK had 173 threatened species, climbing to 180 this year.
Martin Harper, RSPB conservation director, warned that extinctions happening globally are “now lapping” at UK shores, emphasizing numerous challenges in the country’s wildlife.
Other dreaded realities are reflected in the IUCN Red List, including bleaker prospects for the African vulture, where six of its species are at a higher risk for becoming extinct due to poisoning, traditional medication, and being a target of poachers for hiding unlawful animal catches.
