The most beautiful birds are on the way to extinction and the sound scene is in decline

The New York Times warned of the danger of extinction of the most wonderful and distinguished bird species due to a crisis in biological and ecological diversity.

According to a report prepared by journalist Marion Reno, the ibis has been extinct since 1994 due to hunting, destruction of its habitats and deforestation.

Today, there are less than 200 adults of this species left in their native Southeast Asia, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Giant ibis are likely to disappear, along with other types of distinctive birds of excessive shapes and sizes, in light of the current biodiversity crisis, according to a study published in the journal Current Biology.

The study indicates that many species are very likely to be wiped out from the face of the earth, such as the hornbill endemic to the Sulu archipelago in the Philippines (with its huge hollow agate-colored beak), the Chatham Shag (of the family of cormorants and shag), and the heron or white-bellied heron. 4 feet or small owls 7 inches long.

"The global extinction crisis does not mean that we are losing not only species, but also the most attractive birds," said Emma Hughes, an ecologist at the University of Sheffield in England and an author of the study.

Track birds and animals in their migrations

On the other hand, a research team on the development of the "acoustic landscape" in Europe and North America noticed a significant decline in the range of sounds produced by different species of birds.

Writer Fahi Ter Minassian says in a report published by the French newspaper "Le Monde" ( lemonde ) that when a city dweller wants to reconnect with nature, the first thing he does is wander through the gardens, countryside and forests, where he enjoys hearing the various sounds of creatures, especially birds, but it seems that This element is starting to disappear from nature.

Bird-watching campaigns were launched half a century ago, mobilizing volunteers who, during the spring, count bird sites in areas of 4 square kilometres.

In France, the chronological monitoring program of common birds of the National Museum of Natural History during 32 years was able to monitor about 2,900 sites where birds live.

According to the coordinator of the National Museum of Natural History Benoit Fontaine, "This long-term work has made it possible to highlight the severe decline in bird numbers, especially in agricultural environments where specialized species such as the lark gradually disappear, and are replaced by other common types of birds, such as the familiar wrasse. Or the great tit.”

This study is unique, as research engineer at the French National Center for Scientific Research Sylvain Hubert believes that "the decline in the number of birds is reflected in the decline in the sounds they produce in nature."