15 Sep 2008

One quarter of world's endangered birds are found in the Pacific

7:40 pm on 15 September 2008

One quarter of all birds in the world facing extinction are to be found in the Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand.

This has been revealed in the 2008 Red List, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in partnership with BirdLife International.

The report is issued every four years and highlights the world's most endangered species.

BirdLife International says there are one thousand two hundred and 13 threatened bird species around the world.

And 24 percent of that figure come from the Pacific region.

BirdLife International's Director of the Pacific, Don Stewart, says one of the biggest causes of extinctions in the Pacific is the destruction of habitats.

"Caused by, first and foremost by deforestation, or by clearance of forests for agricultural purposes or just for logging or whatever reason. Forests are disappearing in the Pacific Islands, particularly in Melanesia."

Don Stewart says the other threat to terrestial birds is predators, with rats in particular.