Eleven birds, eight mussels, and a bat will be declared extinct in the United States
The ivory-billed woodpecker and the Kauai nukupu’u, both of which haven’t been seen since 1899, are on the unfortunate list.
When the US Fish & Wildlife Service suggests delisting animals and plants from the Endangered Species Act because they can no longer be discovered, it’s a difficult pill to swallow. It signifies that the search has been called off and that the creatures are believed to be beyond salvation. The organisation catalogued 23 species that it has concluded are now extinct on Wednesday.
The agency is seeking public input on the proposal to delist the species, which include the ivory-billed woodpecker, Bachman’s warbler, eight freshwater mussel species, eight Hawaiian birds, a flowering plant, and the once-common Little Mariana fruit bat.
“With climate change and natural area loss pushing more and more species to the brink, now is the time to lift up proactive, collaborative, and innovative efforts to save America’s wildlife,” said US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland in a statement.
The ivory-billed woodpecker was once the largest bird of its kind in the country. The latest reported sighting in the United States occurred in Louisiana in 1944. The disappearance of the woodpecker can be traced back to the loss of forest habitat and human collection of the birds, according to the Fish & Wildlife Service. Bachman’s warbler was a tiny yellow-bellied songbird that was last spotted in the United States in 1962.
The Kauai akialoa and nukupu’u have long curved beaks, the Kauai ‘o’o has a haunting call, and the Maui akepa and Molokai creeper have bright colours, according to the Fish & Wildlife Service. Kauai nukupu’u, one of the birds, was last sighted in Hawaii in 1899.
While fish and mussels aren’t as visually appealing as birds, their extinction indicates a decline in the health of stream and river systems.
The Endangered Species Act was created to safeguard threatened animals and plants while also assisting in the recovery of their populations. Although the delisting of these species is disappointing, it has had a positive impact.
The Fish & Wildlife Service stated, “While protections were provided too late for these 23 species, the ESA has been successful at preventing the extinction of more than 99% of species listed,”