Impact on humans First bird species to become extinct on the European mainland
Once native to European marshes, the curlew is no longer found on Earth. This also has an impact on humans.
17.01.2025, 22:46
dpa
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- According to the Nature Conservation Association, the thin-billed curlew is extinct.
- The last confirmed sighting of the curlew dates back to the 1990s.
- Increased agriculture, drainage projects and urban development have increasingly taken away the bird's habitat.
According to the "Naturschutzbund (Nabu)", the thin-billed curlew has become extinct. This is the first time in modern times, which began towards the end of the 15th century, that a bird species has become extinct on the European mainland, according to Nabu in Lower Saxony. The last confirmed sighting of the thin-billed curlew dates back to the 1990s.
The bird species was originally native to wetlands in Europe and Asia, according to Nabu. According to Nabu, the migratory bird had a slender silhouette and a characteristic call. However, increased agriculture, drainage projects and urban development have increasingly taken away the habitat of the thin-billed curlew. The resting and wintering areas have also been disturbed, for example by hunting.
More species protection is needed
"The destruction of intact ecosystems along the migration routes of this species underlines the importance of international cooperation in nature conservation," Nabu stated. The loss of the species also shows "that extinction is not only taking place in the tropics, but also on our doorstep", said Holger Buschmann, Nabu's regional chairman in Lower Saxony. This makes ecosystems less stable and ultimately has an impact on humans. More species protection is therefore needed.