Asia's Hidden Jewels: 10 More Rare Birds on the Brink of Extinction

In the earlier discussion we illuminated on the ten most emblematic and endangered birds of Asia. But the avian crisis of extinction on the continent goes so deep that hundreds of other equally remarkable species are on the verge of extinction, and most of them are not visible to the general public. Everything is a silent war of survival, of the highest mountains of Myanmar to the distant islands of Japan.

This paper is an extension of that critical discussion, presenting you to 10 more feathered wonders that have a tendentious future. The tenderness of life and the pressing necessity of specific conservation are strong testimonies in their narrations. The first step of becoming an advocate of their survival is to understand their plight. We should travel to the very core of the wilderness of Asia and see these undiscovered gems.

The Deepening Crisis: A Continent at a Crossroads

Asia has the richest biodiversity yet the demands are overwhelming. In addition to the widely discussed problems of deforestation and black trade, there are other more underhanded adversaries such as climate change, invasive species, and even the construction of dams that are forcing specialized birds to the brink. Numerous species in this list have small, broken populations, and thus are exceptionally susceptible to further disruption. What they are fighting is not only land; it is an inheritance of genetic soundness and a presence in a fast-evolving world.

1. The Sulu Hornbill (Anthracoceros montani)

The Sulu Hornbill is arguably one of the most endangered birds on the planet and can only be found in the untouched rainforests of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines. This is a bold black hornbill, whose tail is white, and whose bill is largely covered in a creamy-white casque. It is a critical seed disperser, a very important part of the health of its island ecosystem.

Why is it facing extinction?

It has the whole world reduced into two small islands, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo. Its habitat has been destroyed by rampant timber and agricultural deforestation. Moreover, the political instability in the area has turned the unbroken conservation efforts into a big challenge. The estimated population of the animals is less than 40 and the animals are right on the verge of extinction.

Glimmer of Hope: Local conservation organizations, and international allies, are trying to locate and preserve whatever is left of forest tracts. The programs that should be implemented in the community are important to stop logging and hunting, providing alternative livelihood to save the last stand of the hornbill.

2. The White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis)

The White-bellied Heron is an enormous, critically endangered, wading bird known as a ghost of the Himalayan rivers. Dashing about with its slate-grey plumage contrasted by white belly and of such immense size, it is an impressive object among the quick, clear waters it inhabits. It occurs extraordinarily infrequently, having been known to prefer remote and undisturbed river valleys in Bhutan, Northeast India and Myanmar.

Why is it facing extinction?

It is the most vulnerable because of its special habitat need. The river infrastructure construction (hydroelectric dams, and other constructions) changes the flow of water, destroys feeding pools, and disturbs nesting sites. Human disturbance forcing it out of the traditional grounds and overfishing that reduces its food supply make it vulnerable. There are less than 60 mature individuals remaining and therefore, every threat is increased.

Glimmer of Hope: The Royal Society of Protection of Nature (RSPN), in Bhutan, has been carrying out special conservation works, such as community-based protection of nesting areas, scientific studies to learn more about its ecology. In some places artificial feeding schemes have also been launched to take care of the small population.

3. The Negros Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus arcanus)

The Negros Fruit-Dove is one of the most mysterious birds in the world that is known of only one female specimen that was collected in Negros, a Philippine island in 1953. It has been lost to science decades long and many feared it was lost forever. It has a distinctive look, a head that looks greyish, green wings, and also its belly and vent are yellow.

Why is it facing extinction?

This is mainly due to the fact that the lowland rainforest on the Negros island has been lost almost completely and changed into sugarcane plantations. The fruiting diet and habitat preference of the dove render it incapable of living in poor quality forests. Assuming it hasn’t been wiped out, it has an impossibly low population, and is so highly endangered by any hunting or habitat destruction.

Glimmer of Hope: The mere fact that there is a possibility that it still exists makes the conservationists keep searching. The saving of the few pieces of forest which are left on Negros, especially on Mount Kanlaon, of which there is just a glimmer of hope that this ghost of the Philippines is yet to be rediscovered and rescued.

4. The Chinese Pheasant (Crossoptilon harmani)

The Chinese Pheasant (also known as the Tibetan Eared-Pheasant, or a subspecies of the White Eared-Pheasant) is an extremely beautiful bird, of elevated altitude. It is marked by its velvety black color, brilliant red on the face and conspicuous white ear tufts. It grows in the distant alpine shrubland, as well as coniferous forests in the Tibetan Plateau.

Why is it facing extinction?

Habitat degradation caused by livestock grazing and human settlement is affecting its restricted and specialized range of high altitude. In addition, it is hunted as food and in the traditional ceremonies it is used as feathers. Being a sluggish reproducing species, any amount of hunting may be fatal to its population.

Glimmer of Hope: Its distant home gives some shelter of nature. Conservation interventions are based on community outreach, training the local communities on its endangered status coupled with sustainable grazing activities to sustain its delicate alpine ecosystem.

5. The Rufous-headed Hornbill (Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni)

The Rufous-headed Hornbill, or Walden's Hornbill, is another endemic tragedy of the Philippines, a showy bird whose male has a rufous head and neck, and the female one black in colour. Its wild cries were once heard flung among the rainforests of Negros and Panay, but is now only left on Panay, and the miniature island of Guimaras, just a little away.

Why is it facing extinction?

Similar to most endemics on the island, deforestation destruction is the cause. Its habitat has been reduced to shreds by illegal logging, agricultural development and human settlement. It is also killed as a food source and because its large casque is considered an ornamental trophy. It has an estimated population of between 1,000 and 2,500 people whose population is on the decline.

Glimmer of Hope: Panay has intensive conservation programs in progress. Breeding and research is done on the Mari-it Conservation Park which is operated by the Philippine Endemic Species Conservation Project. Nest protection schemes and community based forest guards have demonstrated effectiveness in increasing the rate of fledging success.

6. The Jerdon's Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus)

An elusive bird that was believed to have died out about a century before being sighted again in 1986 in Andhra Pradesh, India. Courser of Jerdon is a tiny, severely threatened nocturnal courser that has evolved to live in a special habitat, scrub jungle. It is white throated with two black stripes around its neck, has big eyes, and long and yellow legs.

Why is it facing extinction?

All of its known population is located in one, small region endangered by habitat destruction through quarrying, unauthorized irrigation schemes and the spread of invasive weeds that alter its habitat structure. A major and direct threat is the construction of a canal in its sanctuary. It is very secretive and therefore hard to study and guard.

Glimmer of Hope: It has moved into an announced wildlife sanctuary. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and other organizations are carrying on the intensive surveys by camera traps and study of the tracks to keep track of the population and to urge the relevant authorities to provide the mangrove its delicate home.

7. The Okinawa Rail (Hypotaenidia okinawae)

It is also a favorite flightless bird that exists in the north of the Okinawa Island, Japan. It is an eye-catching bird with a bright red bill and eye, blacks and whites on the underside and curious and bold in nature. It lives its life on the forest floor, scavenging insects, snails and lizards in the evergreen broadleaf forests.

Why is it facing extinction?

The major menace is the loss and fragmentation of habitats because of the construction of roads and development of resorts. An even more sinister danger is introduced predators such as mongoose (introduced to eliminate snakes), feral cats and dogs, which feed on the eggs, chicks and adult birds. The death also happens mostly because of vehicle collisions on roads cutting through its habitat.

Glimmer of Hope: A concerted effort to conserve nature by the Japanese government and local NGOs consists of the restoration of habitats, the construction of underpasses under roads to use as wildlife corridors, and forceful removal of invasive mongoose. Rail has become a favorite local conservation icon as a result of public awareness campaigns on the island.

8. The Sangihe Shrike-thrush (Coracornis sanghirensis)

The Sangihe cock is a small, volcano-related island in Indonesia and an unknown bird that is a great song master. It is a smallish looking bird with an olive-brown upper part and greyish breast, but its rich and exquisite song speaks volumes of its ugly faces. It inhabits the canopy of montane rainforests, and is thus hard to observe.

Why is it facing extinction?

Its world has been reduced to a dangerously small scale by the ruthless deforestation to coconut plantations and agriculture. The shrike-thrush has been confined to a diminishing area of high-altitude forest with the majority of the lowland forests of the island destroyed. It has an estimated population of 50- 250 mature.

Glimmer of Hope: The creation of Gunung Sahendaruman Protection Forest preserves a very important area of its remaining habitat. To increase the living space of shade-grown agriculture, conservationists are also trying to encourage areas of critical focus to be forested.

9. The Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)

The Slender-billed Vulture is a hauntingly graceful, the scavenger of the Indian subcontinent, which once was widespread before becoming rare and isolated to a handful of locations and individuals in India and Pakistan. It nests and colonizes high trees, commonly around human dwellings where it rendered the priceless service of clearing carrion.

Why is it facing extinction?

It is the major casualty of veterinary medication diclofenac. This is a drug used on cattle to induce death, through renal failure, in vultures, which consume the dead animal. The species went through a 97 percent crash between 2000 and 2007, one of the fastest rate of population decline among any bird.

Glimmer of Hope: In addition to veterinary diclofenac ban, special Vulture Conservation Breeding Centres have been created in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. These facilities have already been able to breed the species in captivity, the first captive breeding was successful in 2017 and could provide a lifeline to future reintroductions.

10. The Blue-eyed Ground-Dove (Columbina cyanopis)

A Brazilian bird in an Asian list? This is a witness of its phenomenal tale of discovering. This tiny, gorgeous dove, with its gorgeous blue eyes and cinnamon spots on its wings was thought long and dead out of the woods 75 years. It was until 2015 that it was miraculously found in a small part of the Brazilian Cerrado. Although it is not an Asian, its story has been so strong and so relatable to the theme of lost and found, that it acts as a world-wide source of hope. But to keep it purely Asian, we shall substitute it by:

The Manipur Bush-Quail (Perdicula manipurensis)

This is a small and elusive quail that is an endemic of grasslands of Brahmaputra Valley, India and Bangladesh. It is perfectly camouflaged in patterning in brown, black and buff, which is more than suitable to its home in the grasslands. It had also been believed to have disappeared several decades ago before it was rediscovered in 2006.

Why is it facing extinction?

The agricultural, development, and human settlement activities on grassland ecosystems have demolished its habitat due to massive pressure that this land can support. There is also the use of pesticides and burning of grasslands that further worsen its already divided world. It is an Endangered species with a very small and shrinking population.

Glimmer of Hope: It has been rediscovered, and is now the focus of fresh conservation attention. They are conducting surveys to find additional populations and there is an increasing urge to establish and effectively manage protected grasslands reserves so that this elusive quail will not become extinct once again.

The Path Forward: Our Collective Responsibility

The ten birds have their stories as a microcosm of a world crisis. They instruct us that extinction is usually a silent one, which occurs behind the news. However, they also demonstrate that it is possible to provide the most rare species with a fighting chance when it is dedicated to it.

You can join the solution:

• Encourage Habitat Protection: Contribute to groups such as the World Land Trust or Rainforest Trust which are performing the work of acquiring and preserving habitat globally.
• Advocate for Policy Change: Support bans on harmful chemicals like diclofenac and advocate for stronger enforcement against illegal logging and wildlife trade.
• Choose Sustainable Products: Find out what certifications say to make sure that your wood, paper and agricultural products are produced in a sustainably managed way.
• Share the Word: spread the stories of these less famous birds. Conservation depends on awareness as its fueling agent.

Asian avian biodiversity is a story that is yet to be told. Action, rather than apathy, can be used to ensure that these treasures of bird life remain on our earth centuries longer.