Birds possibly extinct still on lists (1 Viewer)

Larry Sweetland · Feb 20, 2016

Not sure where to put this thread, apologies if it already exists.

There must be several species on taxonomic lists that have not been seen for quite a long time but are not yet declared extinct. Anyone know if there is a list somewhere of, eg, birds with no confirmed/unconfirmed sightings for, say 20 years...50 years...more even, that are still present on the major taxonomic lists? I gather the lists even vary between them as to what is considered extinct (?)

If there isn't such a list, anyone up for starting one between us here?

I'll throw one in, how about

Red-throated Lorikeet (Fiji). Most recent sighting?

Andy Adcock · Feb 20, 2016

White-eyed River Martin is an obvious one.

Don't think there's a list though?

Andy

lewis20126 · Feb 20, 2016

Slender-billed Curlew
Imperial Woodpecker
Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Alagoas Foliage-gleaner
Cryptic Treehunter
Po'o uli
Ou

Lots more!
Cheers, a

Andy Adcock · Feb 20, 2016

On a related theme,
why do extinct species remain on current lists and why so many in Fiji!

Andy

Andy Adcock · Feb 20, 2016

Bachman's Warbler

A

Jos Stratford · Feb 20, 2016

Atitlan Grebe. Somehow got myself quoted in literature once for recording a 'confirmed date' of extinction. A fancy way of saying I failed to find any about a year after they certainly had been seen.

Larry Sweetland · Feb 20, 2016

great, keep 'em coming.

Richard Klim · Feb 20, 2016

The BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist gives Red List Categories, one of which is Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct).

Species currently (v8, 2015) listed as CR (PE)...

New Caledonian Nightjar Eurostopodus exul
Jamaican Poorwill Siphonorhis americana
Turquoise-throated Puffleg Eriocnemis godini
Guadalupe Storm-petrel Hydrobates macrodactylus
Jamaican Petrel Pterodroma caribbaea
Eskimo Curlew Numenius borealis
New Caledonian Buttonquail Turnix novaecaledoniae
Imperial Woodpecker Campephilus imperialis
Sinu Parakeet Pyrrhura subandina
Ua Pou Monarch Pomarea mira
Olomao Myadestes lanaiensis
Ou Psittirostra psittacea
Nukupuu Hemignathus lucidus
Oahu Alauahio Paroreomyza maculata
Poo-uli Melamprosops phaeosoma
Bachman's Warbler Vermivora bachmanii
Hooded Seedeater Sporophila melanops

But BirdLife is very conservative when it comes to formally declaring extinction (or even possible extinction): many of these are almost certainly extinct ('probably', rather than 'possibly'?), and others should be added (as per earlier posts)...

Andy Adcock · Feb 20, 2016

What about species that exist only in captivity e.g Spix's Macaw, any others?

Andy

Richard Klim · Feb 20, 2016

andyadcock said:
What about species that exist only in captivity e.g Spix's Macaw, any others?

EW: Extinct in the Wild...

Alagoas Curassow Mitu mitu
Socorro Dove Zenaida graysoni
Guam Rail Hypotaenidia owstoni
Guam Kingfisher Todiramphus cinnamominus
Hawaiian Crow Corvus hawaiiensis

CR (PEW): Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the Wild)...

Spix's Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii

Jon Turner · Feb 20, 2016

andyadcock said:
and why so many in Fiji!

Andy

Bloody Mongooses! Taveuni is the only island without them, so go there if you're going! Not that you'll see anything extinct!

Ben88 · Feb 21, 2016

lewis20126 said:
Imperial Woodpecker

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but this reminded me of the claim in this report from last year:

"He showed me a pic of a dead IMPERIAL WOODPECKER, found dead two years ago. No live ones have been found, wherever it was. Cornell Univ evidently is in the know and following up on the find."

Anyone know anything about this? I asked around when I first heard this, and no one "in the know" knew anything.

Nutcracker · Feb 21, 2016

Ben88 said:
this report from last year

Dunno, but the report has been taken down (dead link), so maybe it's been discredited?

Ben88 · Feb 21, 2016

Nutcracker said:
Dunno, but the report has been taken down (dead link), so maybe it's been discredited?

Oops, I put a period at the end of the url. The link works now.

dcw · Feb 21, 2016

Richard Klim said:
EW: Extinct in the Wild...

Alagoas Curassow Mitu mitu
Socorro Dove Zenaida graysoni
Guam Rail Hypotaenidia owstoni
Guam Kingfisher Todiramphus cinnamominus
Hawaiian Crow Corvus hawaiiensis

CR (PEW): Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the Wild)...

Spix's Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii

Guam Rail as been translocated to the island of Rota and is not to difficult to see there does that still count as extinct in the wild?

Richard Klim · Feb 21, 2016

andyadcock said:
On a related theme, why do extinct species remain on current lists...

The four mainstream world checklists (H&M, BirdLife, IOC, eBird/Clements) include all avian species known to have existed since 1500, presumably on the basis that modern checklists should include all species recorded in modern times...

Richard Klim · Feb 21, 2016

dcw said:
Guam Rail as been translocated to the island of Rota and is not to difficult to see there does that still count as extinct in the wild?

The BirdLife species factsheet details the translocation/introduction programme, but nevertheless still categorises the species as EW...

It remains classified as Extinct in the Wild until an introduced population becomes firmly established.

Farnboro John · Feb 21, 2016

andyadcock said:
On a related theme,
why do extinct species remain on current lists!

Andy

They should be retained because current listers will have seen some of them: I suggest 100 years after extinction should be a safe time to archive such species.

John

David Ferguson · Feb 21, 2016

Kinglet Calyptura (Calyptura cristata) - last seen in 1996.

dcw · Feb 21, 2016

Richard Klim said:
The BirdLife species factsheet details the translocation/introduction programme, but nevertheless still categorises the species as EW...

so what is firmly established? is California Condor considered firmly established or extinct in the wild?

Birds possibly extinct still on lists (1 Viewer)

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