Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, announcing the figures at the BirdLife International World Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, described the situation as shocking. But these figures are the signs of an even greater tragedy. Environmental degradation is now having a very real effect on the lives of millions of people, especially the poor and disadvantaged. Protecting the environment must become a top priority for governments and industry everywhere, to prevent these birds disappearing for ever, and even more people suffering from the destruction of the environment. Importantly our findings are showing up a wider problem beyond birds because places that are rich in birds are generally also rich for other forms of biodiversity.
Habitat destruction is the greatest problem.
With the tropical rainforests being extremely rich in bird species, and the report highlights Asia and the Americas as particularly important regions. In Malaysia there are 35 threatened bird species. Many common birds are also sharply declining Many species traditionally viewed as common are also showing dramatic falls in their numbers. For example in Europe and North America the relentless intensification of agricultural practices is a major factor. The birds are telling us that our current practices on agriculture, forestry, fishery, water management are not sustainable for the environment and biodiversity.