23 species considered extinct: the ivory woodpecker gone forever

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

23 species considered extinct
ivory woodpecker gone forever

Removal of 23 species from the endangered species list is not good news. For the ivory woodpecker, for example, one bat, two fish or eight species of mussels, the vote of US officials means: they have become extinct, disappeared from our planet forever.

A US agency has finally declared 23 animal and plant species extinct. One of the species designated by the Federal Agency for Fisheries and Wildlife is the ivory woodpecker, which was once one of the country’s most famous birds. Apart from birds, one bat, two freshwater fish, eight species of mussels and one plant have also been declared extinct. The authority initiated the process of removing the species from the endangered species list for the respective species.

The message “underlines how human activities can lead to species decline and extinction by contributing to habitat loss, overexploitation and the introduction of invasive species and diseases,” the agency said. “The increasing effects of climate change are expected to exacerbate these threats,” it said.

became a victim of deforestation of his habitat

Males of the ivory woodpecker had black and white plumage with a red crest and were about 50 cm long. This made them one of the largest woodpeckers in the world. The bird’s whereabouts remain a mystery among researchers, and there have been unconfirmed reports of its sightings on several occasions.

However, experts agree that it was last seen beyond doubt in northeastern Louisiana in April 1944. The bird was not classified as an endangered species until 1967. It is believed to have been the victim of deforestation of its habitat and hunting by villagers.

Eleven of the total 23 extinct species are from Hawaii and Guam. The animals living on the islands are more vulnerable to extinction than the inhabitants of the mainland due to their isolation. Hawaii and the Pacific Islands have more than 650 endangered species of flora and fauna, more than any other US state. Many of them are found nowhere else in the world.