14日最新版世界鳥類年度評估報告顯示，今年超過 9 種以上的鳥類新增加入到即將滅絕的高危險群鳥類之中、列入瀕危物種紅皮書的極危等級（CR）。
列入極危的印尼佛洛勒鷹鵰(Ulrike Wizisk攝)與哥倫比亞飾領蓬腿蜂鳥(Alex Cortes攝)
這項由國際鳥盟負責的《瀕危物種紅皮書中》，截至目前為止，已有 192 種鳥類列入最受威脅的極危類群中。另外有 6 種原本列入極危等級的鳥類已調整為瀕危可能性較低的類別（Endangered）。
國際鳥盟科學家統計，目前全球 1227 種鳥類，佔所有鳥類物種的12%已列為飽受威脅且有可能滅絕的名單當中。
世界自然保育聯盟物種存續委員會主席史都華（Simon Stuart）表示：「令人特別擔心的是，即使全球有這麼多成功的保育計劃，面臨滅絕的極危鳥種卻持續增加。」
國際鳥盟全球物種計劃專員柏德（Jez Bird）表示：「整個非洲的猛禽類也以令人憂心地速度消失：一些原本常見且具代表性的物種，如：短尾鵰 （bateleur, Terathopius ecaudatus）、猛雕（martial eagle, Polemaetus bellicosus），均列入受嚴重威脅的類群。然而，這種現象也同時出現在其他大陸的許多種鳥類身上。」
今年評估中發現，稀有鳥類變得更為稀有， 常見鳥類變得不常見。例如，煙囪刺尾雨燕（chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica）過去十年間在北美大陸上的族群數量上減少了近 30%，到現今，該鳥種甚至已在大陸東部消失──這種常見鳥類，已從原本無絕種危險（LC）調整到到近危等級（NT）。
國際鳥盟表示，好消息是當保育行動開始進展時，物種就能被保護。國際鳥盟科學與政策主持人班儂（Leon Bennun）指出，「就全球尺度來看，現況正持續惡化，但今年也有一些保育成功的實際例子。給予我們希望、與指引前進的方向。」
國際鳥盟成員布查（Stuart Butchart）說，「今年IUCN紅皮書上的變化傳達了一個訊息：我們仍然能夠改變現況。這時正需要一個保育行動的決心。」
物種保育瀕危分類的依據，是由針對族群的數量、趨勢、分布、及其他相關參數等的量化閾值評估而來。更多資訊請參訪：http://www.iucnredlist.org 。
Nine more bird species have been added this year to the list of Critically Endangered birds that face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, according to the latest annual evaluation of the world's birds, released today.
Conducted by BirdLife International for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the assessment now lists 192 species of birds as Critically Endangered, the highest threat category.
At the same time, six bird species that had been considered Critically Endangered have been downlisted to Endangered, a lower category of threat.
BirdLife International scientists found that 1,227 species, 12 percent of the world's birds, are classified as globally threatened with extinction to some degree.
"It extremely worrying that the number of Critically Endangered birds on the IUCN Red List continues to increase, despite successful conservation initiatives around the world," says Simon Stuart, who chairs the IUCN's Species Survival Commission.
"Across Africa, widespread birds of prey are also disappearing at an alarming rate, and emblematic species such as bateleur, Terathopius ecaudatus, and martial eagle, Polemaetus bellicosus, have been placed in a higher category of threat as a result," said Jez Bird, BirdLife's Global Species Program officer. "These declines are mirrored in many species, in every continent."
Rare birds are becoming rarer and common birds are becoming less common, this year's assessment found. In eastern North America, the chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica, is disappearing following continent-wide declines of nearly 30 percent in the last decade. This common species has been reclassified from Least Concern to Near Threatened.
The good news is that when conservation actions are taken, species can be saved, BirdLife officials say.
"In global terms, things continue to get worse, but there are some real conservation success stories this year to give us hope and point the way forward," says Dr. Leon Bennun, BirdLife's Director of Science and Policy.
"What the changes in this year's IUCN Red List tell us is that we can still turn things around for these species," Dr. Stuart Butchart, BirdLife's global research and indicators coordinator said. "There just has to be the will to act."
Species are assigned to categories using criteria with quantitative thresholds for population size, population trend, range size and other parameters. For more information visit: http://www.iucnredlist.org
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
