According to a UK study, humans are responsible for the extinction of 1,430 bird species, which is more than double the previous estimate. Human presence resulted in habitat destruction, overhunting, and invasive species, all of which had a significant impact on avian diversity.
A recent study undertaken by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) uncovers a startling discovery: humans are responsible for the extinction of around 1,430 bird species—twice the number previously anticipated.
The research focuses on areas such as Hawaii, Tonga, and the Azores, where human presence has resulted in significant effects such as deforestation, overhunting, and the introduction of invasive species.
These effects have been disastrous for bird populations, resulting in the extinction of several previously unknown species.
According to the study, which questions accepted wisdom, one in nine bird species had disappeared during the course of modern human history, beginning in the Late Pleistocene, some 130,000 years ago. Given that bird bones are brittle and break down over time, traditional fossil records are not fully representative of the true extent of worldwide extinctions.
Human impact on avian diversity: extent
The Independent was informed by lead author Dr. Rob Cooke, an ecological modeller at UKCEH, on the significant impact that humans have on avian variety.
According to him, “habitat loss, overexploitation, and the introduction of rats, pigs, and dogs that raided bird nests and competed with them for food have rapidly devastated bird populations.”
Dr. Spren Faurby, a co-author from the University of Gothenburg, emphasized the significant consequences of past bird extinctions on the present biodiversity issue.
In addition to resulting in the extinction of many bird species, these extinctions have upset biological processes, impairing pollination and seed distribution and having a domino impact on ecosystems.
According to the research, major extinction events happened in the 14th and 9th centuries BC, respectively, which corresponds to the emergence of humans in the Eastern and Western Pacific regions. These episodes represent the greatest vertebrate extinction event in history, caused by changes in habitat and the introduction of exotic species.
The study, which was published in Nature Communications, calculates that after humans arrived in the Eastern Pacific, about 570 bird species vanished.