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List of vulnerable birds facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Status iucn3.1 VU
Vulnerable (VU) species are considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Imagine a world where some of your favorite birds might disappear forever. That's what it means for a bird species to be "vulnerable." In December 2020, a group called the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) looked at all the different kinds of birds and found that 798 bird species are considered vulnerable. This means they face a high risk of disappearing from the wild.

The IUCN uses special rules to decide if a species is vulnerable. Birds that are "endangered" or "critically endangered" are in even more trouble. All these groups – vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered – are called "threatened species" by the IUCN. You can find more lists of these birds here: List of endangered birds and List of critically endangered birds.

Sometimes, there isn't enough information about a bird to know if it's threatened. These birds are called "data deficient." About 53 bird species are in this group. Even though we don't have all the facts, the IUCN thinks these birds probably need our help, too, because they often live in small areas or have small populations.

This article shares some of the amazing bird species that are currently vulnerable. We'll look at different types of birds, from tiny hummingbirds to giant ostriches, and learn a little about them.

Contents

Birds That Need Our Help

Mesites: Unique Birds from Madagascar

Mesites are special birds that live only on the island of Madagascar. They are shy and spend most of their time on the ground, looking for food. Because their home is shrinking, these unique birds are vulnerable.

Penguins: Wobbly Walkers of the Cold Seas

Penguins are amazing birds that can't fly but are fantastic swimmers! They live in cold places and hunt for fish in the ocean. Many penguin species are facing challenges like climate change and changes in their food supply, making them vulnerable.

Procellariiformes: Ocean Wanderers

This group includes birds that spend most of their lives over the open ocean, like petrels and albatrosses. They travel huge distances! Many of these birds are vulnerable because of fishing nets and pollution.

Albatrosses: Giants of the Sky

Albatrosses are some of the largest flying birds. They have incredibly long wings that help them glide over the ocean for days without flapping.

Petrels: Smaller Ocean Flyers

Petrels are smaller than albatrosses but also spend their lives at sea. They often nest on remote islands.

Gruiformes: Diverse Ground Birds

This group includes many different kinds of birds, often found near water or in grasslands.

Cranes: Elegant Dancers

Cranes are tall, graceful birds known for their beautiful mating dances. Many crane species are vulnerable due to habitat loss.

Rails: Secretive Marsh Dwellers

Rails are often shy birds that live in wetlands and dense vegetation. They can be hard to spot!

Bustards: Large Ground Birds

Bustards are large, heavy-bodied birds that live in open grasslands and deserts. They are known for their impressive display flights.

Parrots: Colorful and Clever Birds

Parrots are famous for their bright colors and ability to mimic sounds. Many parrot species are vulnerable because their forest homes are being cut down, and some are illegally captured for pets.

Cockatoos: Crested Companions

Cockatoos are a type of parrot known for their crests and playful personalities.

Psittacids: The Main Parrot Family

This is the largest family of parrots, including macaws, amazons, and lorikeets.

Suliformes: Diving Birds

This group includes birds like frigatebirds and cormorants, which are often found near coastlines and dive for fish.

Pigeons and Doves: Common but Vulnerable

While some pigeons are very common, many species of pigeons and doves around the world are vulnerable, especially those living on islands or in specific forest habitats.

Pelecaniformes: Wading and Water Birds

This order includes pelicans, herons, and ibises. They are often found in wetlands and near water, where they hunt for food.

Galliformes: Chicken-like Birds

This group includes many ground-dwelling birds like pheasants, quails, and turkeys. They are often important food sources for other animals.

Cracids: Forest Birds of the Americas

Cracids are large, often colorful birds found in the forests of Central and South America.

Megapodes: Nest Builders

Megapodes are unique birds that build large mounds of decaying plants to incubate their eggs, using natural heat.

Phasianids: Pheasants and Partridges

This large family includes many well-known game birds, but many species are vulnerable due to hunting and habitat loss.

Struthioniformes: Large Flightless Birds

This order includes some of the largest birds on Earth, many of which cannot fly.

Bucerotiformes: Hornbills and Hoopoes

This group includes birds with large, often colorful bills, like hornbills, and the distinctive hoopoe.

Accipitriformes: Birds of Prey

This order includes many powerful birds that hunt other animals, like eagles, hawks, and buzzards. Many are vulnerable due to habitat loss and poisoning.

Anseriformes: Ducks, Geese, and Swans

This group includes many familiar water birds. Some species are vulnerable due to hunting, habitat destruction, and pollution of their wetland homes.

Owls: Night Hunters

Owls are birds of prey known for their excellent night vision and silent flight. Many owl species are vulnerable because their forest habitats are disappearing.

Barn-owls: Unique Faces

Barn-owls have distinctive heart-shaped faces that help them hear prey.

Typical Owls: Forest Dwellers

This is the largest family of owls, with many species living in forests around the world.

  • Philippine eagle-owl
  • Snowy owl
  • Cinnabar boobook

Charadriiformes: Shorebirds and Seabirds

This diverse group includes birds found near water, such as plovers, gulls, and puffins. They are often affected by coastal development and changes in marine environments.

Falconiformes: Falcons

Falcons are fast, powerful birds of prey. Some species are vulnerable due to habitat loss and the use of pesticides.

Coraciiformes: Kingfishers and Bee-eaters

This order includes colorful birds like kingfishers, known for diving for fish, and bee-eaters, which catch insects in the air.

Passerines: Songbirds and Perching Birds

This is the largest group of birds, often called "songbirds" or "perching birds." Many passerine species are vulnerable, especially those with small habitats or specific food needs.

Monarch Flycatchers: Insect Eaters

These birds are known for catching insects in flight.

Finches: Seed Eaters

Finches are small birds with strong beaks for cracking seeds.

Pittas: Jewel-like Ground Birds

Pittas are colorful, secretive birds that live on the forest floor.

Antbirds: Forest Floor Foragers

Antbirds are found in Central and South American forests, often following army ants to catch insects.

White-eyes: Small and Social

White-eyes are small, often green or yellow birds, known for the ring of white feathers around their eyes.

Cotingas: Colorful Forest Birds

Cotingas are known for their bright colors and unique calls.

Thrushes: Melodious Singers

Thrushes are known for their beautiful songs and often feed on insects and berries.

Corvids: Crows, Jays, and Magpies

This intelligent family includes crows, jays, and magpies.

Icterids: Diverse American Birds

Icterids are a group of birds found in the Americas, including blackbirds and orioles.

New World Warblers: Tiny Songbirds

These small, active birds are known for their vibrant colors and insect-eating habits.

  • Santa Marta warbler
  • Barbuda warbler

Ovenbirds: South American Specialists

Ovenbirds are a diverse group found in South and Central America, known for their varied nest-building styles.

Sylviids: Old World Warblers

This group includes many small, often plain-looking birds that are hard to spot in dense vegetation.

Emberizids: Sparrows and Buntings

Emberizids are a large family of seed-eating birds, often found in open habitats.

Old World Babblers: Chatty Birds

Babblers are social birds known for their noisy calls and often live in groups.

Old World Flycatchers: Insect Hunters

These birds are skilled at catching insects in mid-air.

Ploceids: Weavers

Weavers are known for their elaborate woven nests.

  • Bannerman's weaver
  • Finn's weaver

Bulbuls: Fruity Forest Birds

Bulbuls are found in Africa and Asia, often feeding on fruit.

  • Grey-cheeked bulbul
  • Styan's bulbul

Tanagers: Neotropical Jewels

Tanagers are a large family of colorful birds found in the Americas.

  • Yellow-green tanager
  • Seven-coloured tanager

Manakins: Tiny Dancers

Manakins are small, colorful birds known for their unique courtship displays.

  • Opal-crowned manakin
  • Yellow-headed manakin

Swallows: Aerial Acrobats

Swallows are known for their graceful flight as they catch insects in the air.

Tyrant Flycatchers: American Insectivores

This is a very large family of birds found only in the Americas, known for catching insects.

Honeyeaters: Nectar Lovers

Honeyeaters are found in Australia and nearby islands, feeding on nectar, fruit, and insects.

Estrildid Finches: Small Seed Eaters

These small, social finches are found in Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Caprimulgiformes: Nightjars and Swifts

This order includes birds that are often active at dusk or night, like nightjars, and fast-flying swifts.

Cuckoos: Diverse Nesting Habits

Cuckoos are known for their distinctive calls, and some species lay their eggs in other birds' nests.

  • Coral-billed ground cuckoo
  • Green-billed coucal

Piciformes: Woodpeckers and Toucans

This order includes birds that often climb trees, like woodpeckers, and those with large, colorful bills, like toucans.

Other Vulnerable Bird Species

Here are a few more vulnerable bird species from different groups:

See also

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List of vulnerable birds Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.