Countries with the most Threatened Bird Species
I have checked several sources for this data, and each of them had a different answer. Avibase listed a much larger number of endangered species than other sources. My numbers come from the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.
Levels of Threat
There are several levels of threat as follows:
Near Threatened – This means that a species at this threat level is not in danger of extinction yet, but it is likely to become so if nothing is done to protect it.
Vulnerable – Species at this level are at a high risk of extinction.
Endangered – Species at this level are at a very high risk of extinction.
Critically Endangered – Species at this level are at an extremely high risk of extinction.
Extinct in the Wild – Species at this level do not exist in the wild, but some exist in captivity.
Extinct – The species no longer exists. Note that it is not possible to be extinct in one area and not in another, as many articles claim. If a bird is extinct, that means that the last one on the planet has died.
Exterpated – This means that a species no longer exists in a former range but still exists somewhere else on the planet.
The Top Ten Countries with the Most Endangered Bird Species
The following list does not include extinct species.
- Brazil – 166
- India – 182
- China – 146
- Indonesia – 126
- Columbia – 126
- Peru – 122
- Ecuador – 106
- USA – 89
- Philippines – 74
- Mexico – 68
The Photo
The photo at the top is of a Critically Endangered black stilt. It is one of the world’s rarest birds, with a population of only 169 at the last count in 2020. I photographed this one in a remote area in New Zealand.