Birds of prey in Africa are currently experiencing an extinction crisis, with more than two-thirds potentially threatened, according to a new study by an international research team led by The Peregrine Fund and researchers from the University of St. Andrews.
Of the 42 species profiled in the report, 88 percent have declined over a 20- to 40-year period. Of those, 69 percent exceeded the “at risk of extinction” criteria set forth by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
“The conversion of natural habitats to farmland is a major cause of biodiversity loss and poses the greatest extinction risk to birds worldwide. Tropical raptors are of particular concern, being relatively slow-breeding apex predators and scavengers, whose disappearance can trigger extensive cascading effects. Many of Africa’s raptors are at considerable risk from habitat conversion, prey-base…
Read the full article originally published at www.ecowatch.com.