Seabirds are currently recognised as one of the most threatened groups of birds, but in Europe one species is particularly at risk of extinction: the Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus). Although its migration occurs along the highly populated Atlantic coast (including Portugal, France and southern Britain), this long-lived seabird has been notoriously difficult to study, especially since its breeding grounds on the Spanish Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean are often inaccessible. Ten years ago, the alarm was raised by scientists with a study predicting that the species was on track to become extinct in approximately 40 years. In 2004, the population was estimated to only number 2,000 breeding pairs.
Source: Birdwatch, 16 May 2016
http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/channel/newsitem.asp?c=11&cate=__16319
- Login om te reageren