The United States says goodbye to the large ivory-billed woodpecker and 22 other species

US environmental authorities declared 23 species final on Wednesday. The list includes the large, ivory-billed woodpecker, one of America’s most memorable birds. The last confirmed sighting of the bird dates back to 1944. For years this bird has been one of the most sought after by bird watchers. He is sometimes referred to as “Lord God”, after the cry that observers would have uttered when they saw it. She even inspired popular singer Sovgan Stevens with a song.

The Federal Wildlife Management Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, has also declared another notable bird, the Bachmann, to be extinct. The songbird with its distinctive yellow plumage migrated from the southwestern United States to Cuba. Scientists lost hope of seeing a live specimen again.

Under the Endangered Species Act, species are listed as endangered to protect their habitats. Previously, only eleven species were removed due to extinction. When the law was passed in 1973, the large, ivory-billed woodpecker was one of the lobby’s mascots. The bird has been endangered since 1890, after deforestation threatened its habitat and woodpeckers became popular among collectors and privateers.

Biologist in tears

Biologist Amy Trahan described the inclusion of the great ivory-billed woodpecker on the “Extinct Animals” list as “one of the most difficult moments of her career”. “Nobody wants to do something like that,” she told the newspaper. Washington Post. According to the newspaper, the biologist could barely hold back her tears in the Zoom conversation.

In total there are eleven birds on the list. Two freshwater fish, a bat, eight mussels and a plant will never be seen again.

Climate warming

This “underscores how human activities can lead to the degradation and extinction of species by contributing to habitat loss, overexploitation and introduction of invasive species and diseases,” the statement said. US environmental authorities predict that climate change will only exacerbate these threats.