New data reveals a concerning accelerated decline in global bird populations, primarily due to relentless forest loss. Meanwhile, Arctic seals are facing increasingly dire threats, pushed towards extinction by climate change. Yet, amidst these alarming trends, there’s a beacon of hope: green sea turtles are making such a remarkable comeback they’ve been reclassified from ‘endangered’ to ‘least concern’.
These significant updates were announced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as part of their renowned Red List, the world’s most authoritative scientific inventory of species’ conservation status.
The report vividly illustrates the colossal challenges wildlife faces in a human-altered world. However, it also provides compelling proof that strategic and effective conservation actions can genuinely help species not just survive, but thrive.
As Bryan Wallace, a lead assessor for the sea turtle study, succinctly put it, ‘It all boils down to actively reducing the threats they face.’
Arctic Seals in Peril
For countless other species, however, threats continue to escalate. Three distinct Arctic seal species, whose very survival depends on sea ice, have now plummeted into more critical danger categories. Hooded seals, for instance, have shifted from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘endangered’, while both bearded and harp seals have descended from ‘least concern’ to ‘near threatened’.
These magnificent creatures depend entirely on sea ice for vital activities like resting, giving birth, and raising their young. Many might assume seals could simply relocate to land as ice vanishes, but Kit Kovacs, who heads the IUCN’s specialist group for seals, sea lions, and walruses, clarifies that this isn’t an option.
Arctic seals, she explains, instinctively avoid land, likely due to a deeply ingrained fear of polar bears. While there’s a glimmer of hope for some Arctic marine mammals like walruses, who occasionally use land and might adapt to giving birth there, Kovacs worries that extinction is an inescapable fate for other seal species unless global efforts to combat climate change intensify dramatically.
Global sea ice reached a record low this year, creating a dangerous feedback loop. Seals are not just animals; they are cornerstone species of the Arctic ecosystem, providing food for orcas and polar bears, and serving as a crucial resource for Indigenous communities.
Dr. Kovacs laments, ‘Even as a scientist striving for neutrality and objective observation, witnessing these declines is incredibly difficult. These animals are unique to the Arctic; if they disappear from there, they are gone forever.’
Bird Populations Face Widespread Decline
This extensive update marks the eighth comprehensive assessment of 11,185 bird species globally. It revealed that a staggering 61% of these populations are in decline, a significant increase from 44% in 2016.
Ian Burfield, who oversees Red List updates for BirdLife International, a leading conservation network, clarified that this worsening outlook is primarily due to better data and enhanced scientific understanding, rather than rapid new environmental changes.
For this assessment, researchers utilized advanced satellite imagery to map changes in tree cover, then overlaid this data with species range maps to more accurately gauge population impacts.
Dr. Burfield emphasized the critical role many of these species play: ‘Some of these birds, historically common and widespread, are vital for ecosystem services such as pest control, seed dispersal, pollination, and scavenging. The fact that so many are decreasing should serve as a profound wake-up call.’
Indeed, over just the past few decades, extensive deforestation has ravaged species worldwide, primarily fueled by agricultural expansion, aggressive logging, and urban development.
On the island of Madagascar, for example, the striking Schlegel’s asity, known for its males’ electric-blue and green facial markings resembling beaded masks, has been reclassified from ‘near threatened’ to ‘vulnerable’. It’s one of 17 forest bird species on the island experiencing such rapid decline that their status had to be updated. Similarly, in West Africa, the vibrant black-casqued hornbill moved from ‘least concern’ to ‘near threatened’, a fate shared by the northern nightingale-wren in Central America.
However, birds can also demonstrate incredible resilience and recovery given the right conditions. This is beautifully illustrated by two species from Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean. Historically, relentless forest clearing and livestock grazing annihilated most bird life there. By the 1970s, the Rodrigues fody and Rodrigues warbler, the island’s final two native bird species, were on the verge of extinction, each with only a handful of breeding pairs. But through dedicated conservation efforts focused on forest restoration, both species have rebounded, and are now proudly reclassified as ‘least concern’ in this latest update.
Sea Turtles: A Remarkable Recovery
Adding to the report’s hopeful findings is the remarkable comeback of green sea turtles. Decades of intensive conservation efforts have resulted in a global population increase of approximately 28% since the 1970s.
Dr. Wallace highlights that the most impactful change was the drastic reduction in the consumption of turtle products. For centuries, especially after European colonization, sea turtles were aggressively hunted for their meat, eggs, skin, and shells. This destructive trend began to reverse as countries progressively outlawed such practices, culminating in 1981 when all seven sea turtle species received protection from international trade. Although some illegal trade regrettably continues, the overall pressure from hunting has significantly diminished.
While sea turtles still face the threat of accidental drowning in fishing gear, innovative ‘turtle safety devices’ and other proactive measures have effectively reduced these fatalities. Furthermore, dedicated individuals and communities globally are actively protecting nesting sea turtles and their precious eggs on vulnerable beaches.
According to Dr. Wallace, ‘A significant portion of that conservation investment is now truly paying dividends.’
Scientists specifically noted exceptional success in conservation initiatives on Ascension Island, and across Brazil, Mexico, and Hawaii.
Although green sea turtle populations are still far from their historic numbers, and climate change remains a persistent threat, their reclassification from ‘endangered’ to ‘least concern’ is a remarkable achievement. Dr. Wallace added that other sea turtle species are also showing positive signs, with the poignant exception of the leatherback turtle.
The report also sadly confirms the extinction of several species, including the Christmas Island shrew, which was last observed in the 1980s, and the slender-billed curlew, a migratory shorebird last documented in Morocco in 1995.