Recently the IUCN released their new list of Red Data life forms. Among those are a disturbingly high number of waders. About 30% of all wader species are classified as Near Threatened (35), Vulnerable (10), Endangered (10), Critically Endangered (7), Extinct (6) or Data Deficient (1).
Of those considered Critically Endangered it is highly likely that four of them (Jerdon's Courser, Javan Lapwing, Slender-billed and Eskimo Curlew) are now also extinct making the extinct wader list slip into double figures.
It is shocking to see so many of what in my youth were considered common species on the list of Near Threatened species; Northern Lapwing, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Red Knot, Red-necked Stint and Semipalmated Sandpiper.
If there is any good news to come out of the latest list it is that one of the rarest birds in the world, the St Helena Plover or 'Wirebird' has been moved from Critically Endangered to Vulnerable; this despite the pressures that it has been facing with reduction in sheep grazing and a new airport. This better news is a result of the work being carried out to create new habitat for the bird which seems to have been rather successful as the adult population has grown slightly and has remained higher than 250 individuals since 2007.
Here are the waders on the list:
Extinct
Canarian Black Oystercatcher Christmas Sandpiper Moorea Sandpiper Tahiti Sandpiper North Island Snipe South Island Snipe
Critically Endangered
Black Stilt Jerdon's Courser Sociable Lapwing Javan Lapwing Eskimo Curlew Slender-billed Curlew
Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Endangered
Australian Painted-Snipe Chatham Island Oystercatcher Southern Red-breasted Plover Shore Plover Obi Woodcock Tuamotu Sandpiper Nordmann's Greenshank Eastern Curlew Great Knot Plains Wanderer
Vulnerable
Madagascar Pratincole Madagascar Plover St Helena Plover Wrybill Hooded Plover Amami Woodcock Bristle-thighed Curlew Chatham Island Snipe Madagascar Snipe Wood Snipe
Near Threatened
Madagascar Jacana Eurasian Oystercatcher African Black Oystercatcher Great Thick-knee Beach Thick-knee Black-winged Pratincole River Lapwing Northern Lapwing Northern Red-breasted Plover Piping Plover Javan Plover Snowy Plover Malaysian Plover Chestnut-banded Plover Mountain Plover Diademed Sandpiper-Plover Magellanic Plover Bar-tailed Godwit Black-tailed Godwit Eurasian Curlew Grey-tailed Tattler Javan Woodcock Sulawesi Woodcock Great Snipe Noble Snipe Fuegian Snipe Imperial Snipe Subantarctic Snipe Asian Dowitcher Red Knot Semipalmated Sandpiper Red-necked Stint Curlew Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Data Deficient
White-faced Plover
Of those considered Critically Endangered it is highly likely that four of them (Jerdon's Courser, Javan Lapwing, Slender-billed and Eskimo Curlew) are now also extinct making the extinct wader list slip into double figures.
Black-tailed Godwit: Elis Simpson |
It is shocking to see so many of what in my youth were considered common species on the list of Near Threatened species; Northern Lapwing, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Red Knot, Red-necked Stint and Semipalmated Sandpiper.
If there is any good news to come out of the latest list it is that one of the rarest birds in the world, the St Helena Plover or 'Wirebird' has been moved from Critically Endangered to Vulnerable; this despite the pressures that it has been facing with reduction in sheep grazing and a new airport. This better news is a result of the work being carried out to create new habitat for the bird which seems to have been rather successful as the adult population has grown slightly and has remained higher than 250 individuals since 2007.
Javan Lapwing: Elis Simpson BNHM |
Extinct
Canarian Black Oystercatcher Christmas Sandpiper Moorea Sandpiper Tahiti Sandpiper North Island Snipe South Island Snipe
Critically Endangered
Black Stilt Jerdon's Courser Sociable Lapwing Javan Lapwing Eskimo Curlew Slender-billed Curlew
Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Shore Plover: Elis Simpson |
Australian Painted-Snipe Chatham Island Oystercatcher Southern Red-breasted Plover Shore Plover Obi Woodcock Tuamotu Sandpiper Nordmann's Greenshank Eastern Curlew Great Knot Plains Wanderer
Vulnerable
Wrybill: Elis Simpson |
Near Threatened
Diademed Sandpiper-Plover: Elis Simpson |
White-faced Plover: Elis Simpson |
White-faced Plover
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