This essay was written by Sam, a 13-year-old hoping to share his love for wildlife, marine animals, and photography:
Raptors (birds within the orders of Accipitriformes, Cathartiformes, Falconiformes, Strigiformes, and Cariamiformes) are some of the most special and unique species on Earth. Some of them have evolved to fly as high as 10 000 to 20 000 feet above sea level, whilst others like the peregrine falcon have adapted to live in every continent except Antarctica. Each species will surprise and fascinate you. However, birds of prey are also endangered and are vanishing quickly from our world due to human threats. According to the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, eighteen percent of raptors are threatened with extinction (103 species), and fifty-two percent have rapidly declining populations. With only 557 species of raptors in the world, the populations of these birds of prey are declining faster than other birds. The most threatened and endangered species of birds of prey are birds that require forests, such as Cooper’s hawk.
This is very concerning, as raptors are extremely important to their ecosystems, since they reduce diseases by controlling rodent populations and consuming animal carcasses, and some hawks eat invasive insects threatening agricultural crops. A decrease in the populations of these birds can lead to the total collapse of a food chain, altering the structure and functions of an ecosystem. This could then lead to an increase in disease due the augmentation of carcasses and rodents, thus causing a decline in other animal populations. For example, when the populations of vulture species in the Indian subcontinent declined because of a new vaccine for cattle, the populations of feral dogs increased because there were more carcasses to eat. The result of this was a rise in human rabies infections, causing deaths and therefore a financial weight on the Indian government in treatments. As a result, conserving raptor populations and halting their decline is beneficial for the ecosystem’s health and for human well-being.
Raptors are endangered by a wide range of human made threats, the most important being the alteration and destruction of habitats (mostly via logging and agricultural expansion), intentional killings, intentional and unintentional poisoning, car collisions (due to road kills) and climate change. Fortunately, in certain countries and regions, there exists legislation and protected areas to protect different raptor species.
Although the view of raptor populations in the world seems dire there is cause for optimism as conservation efforts are being led and can be very effective. In fact, wildlife conservation actions have saved certain raptor species from the brink of extinction. Raptors provide the world with an irreplaceable ecological and cultural service, and their rapid decline is a sign of our impact on this planet. Save the last predatory birds on our planet.
Comentarios