Bachman’s warbler, 20 other species declared newly extinct

For immediate release ‐ October 25, 2023

Contact: Jon Pishney, 919.707.8083. Images available upon request

Illustration of a male Bachman's warbler.Bachman’s warbler. Cropped lithograph from Audubon’s “The Birds of America.”

Last week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed 21 species from the Endangered Species Act due to extinction. The list includes eight mussels, one bat and 10 birds. One of these birds, Bachman’s warbler, is native to the Carolinas and was last spotted in the 1980s. Queen City News spoke to NCMNS Ornithology Collections Manager Dr. Brian O’Shea about the report.

O’Shea says:

“… climate change and habitat loss top the list of threats for birds. “I think that the disappearance of the Bachman’s Warbler is sort of a symptom of broader ecological decay. As ecosystems become more homogenized and more disturbed they lose the resilience that could help protect us against climate change and also protect biodiversity. And I think that’s a big lesson to be taken from the extinction.”

Read the full article on Queen City News


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