Eight bird species that became past this decade

Eight bird species, including the famed Spix’s macaw and the cryptic treehunter, went extinct or nearly extinct this decade leaving behind an uncomfortable warning for conservationists. These extinctions are not vulnerable small-island species wiped out by hunting or invasive predators but dwellers of a large continent like South America where habitat loss and degradation are on the rise because of deforestation.

The study conducted by non-profit BirdLife International tracked 51 critically endangered species over eight years only to find out that three are extinct, one is extinct in the wild and four others are on the verge of extinction if not already gone, notes National Geographic.

The study highlights a growing and accelerating wave of extinctions on large continents, which can be attributed to habitat loss from unsustainable agriculture, drainage and logging, reports The Guardian.