Birds add colour, song, and life to our world, but many species are facing serious threats from habitat loss, climate change, and human activity.
Understanding which birds are at risk can inspire conservation efforts and help protect these incredible creatures.
This article is for general knowledge only and is based on information from wildlife and conservation sources. Some species may require permits for observation or photography, and all efforts should prioritise ethical and legal practices.
1. Philippine Eagle
Crowned with a magnificent crest of golden-brown feathers, the Philippine eagle ranks among the world’s largest and most powerful birds of prey. Forest destruction has left fewer than 400 breeding pairs in the wild.
Each pair needs up to 40 square kilometers of undisturbed forest to hunt and raise a single chick every two years. Local communities now celebrate this national symbol through protection programs.
Despite its nickname “monkey-eating eagle,” it primarily hunts flying lemurs and other forest mammals.
2. Hyacinth Macaw
Draped in electric blue feathers with yellow eye rings and bill patches, hyacinth macaws command attention wherever they fly. These gentle giants, the largest parrots in the world, crack palm nuts with beaks strong enough to snap broomsticks.
Habitat conversion for cattle ranching and soybean farming has destroyed much of their pantanal wetland home in Brazil. The illegal pet trade further threatens remaining populations.
A mated pair stays together for life, raising their chicks in tree cavities they cannot create themselves.
3. Northern Bald Ibis
Sporting glossy black feathers and a bare red face that resembles ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, northern bald ibises once ranged across North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. War, pesticides, and habitat changes have decimated their numbers to fewer than 200 wild birds.
Young ibises learn migration routes from their parents through cultural transmission. When populations collapse, this knowledge disappears forever.
Recent reintroduction programs use ultralight aircraft to teach captive-raised birds their ancestral migration paths.
4. Golden Pheasant
Male golden pheasants parade through Chinese forests like walking jewel boxes. Their golden-yellow crest, scarlet breast, and emerald back create a spectacle that seems almost unreal in natural settings.
Mountain forest degradation threatens their survival as logging and agricultural expansion shrink their habitat. Though still found in protected areas, wild populations have declined sharply.
Females lack the males’ brilliant colors, wearing camouflage brown plumage that helps them hide while incubating eggs for 22-23 days on the forest floor.
5. Resplendent Quetzal
Ancient Mayans considered quetzals divine, and one glance explains why. Males grow spectacular emerald tail feathers up to three feet long that trail behind them like living ribbons through Central American cloud forests.
These birds require large, mature trees with natural cavities for nesting. As mountain forests fragment due to coffee plantations and logging, quetzal numbers continue declining.
Unlike many threatened birds, quetzals cannot survive in captivity, making habitat protection their only hope for survival.
6. Shoebill Stork
Standing motionless like ancient statues in African wetlands, shoebills possess massive, shoe-shaped bills perfect for catching lungfish and baby crocodiles. Their penetrating stare and prehistoric appearance have earned them the nickname “death pelican” among locals.
Wetland drainage for agriculture threatens their specialized hunting grounds across central Africa. These solitary birds rarely vocalize, preferring to communicate through bill-clattering displays.
Parents lay two eggs but typically raise only one chick, often neglecting the second, a harsh adaptation to unpredictable food supplies.
7. Fairy Pitta
Known as the “eight-colored bird” in China, fairy pittas combine blue, green, brown, black, white, yellow, red and buff in a compact package smaller than a robin. These secretive birds migrate annually between Southeast Asia and temperate forests in Japan, Korea, and eastern China.
Deforestation affects both their breeding and wintering grounds. Their distinctive three-note whistle grows increasingly rare each spring.
Taiwan has become their final stronghold, where community conservation projects work to protect remaining habitat from development.
8. Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Resembling runway models with their elegant blue lace-like crests, Victoria crowned pigeons stroll through New Guinea’s lowland forests with surprising grace for birds their size. As the largest pigeons in the world, they can weigh as much as a chicken.
Hunting for their spectacular plumes and meat has devastated wild populations. Forest clearing for palm oil plantations further threatens their future.
Unlike typical pigeons, these ground-dwellers produce deep, hollow booming calls that resonate through their rainforest home.
9. Red-Crowned Crane
Standing nearly five feet tall with snowy white plumage and a crimson crown, red-crowned cranes have inspired Asian art and mythology for centuries. These birds perform elaborate dancing displays year-round, not just during mating season.
Wetland drainage in China, Japan, and Korea has left fewer than 3,000 birds in the wild. Winter feeding programs in Japan have helped stabilize the resident population there.
Pairs mate for life and perform synchronized duets, with males and females calling in perfect coordination while throwing their heads back dramatically.
