Friday, August 31, 2012

[Ornithology • Extinction] Alaotra Grebe | Tachybaptus rufolavatus • water bird endemic to Lake Alaotra and surrounding lakes in Madagascar's northern central plateau | Extinct (2010)


Alaotra Grebe has been declared Extinct in the 2010 Red List update for birds
Art: Chris Rose

BirdLife International has announced, in the 2010 IUCN Red List update for birds, the extinction of Alaotra Grebe Tachybaptus rufolavatus. Restricted to a tiny area of east Madagascar, this species declined rapidly after carnivorous fish were introduced to the lakes in which it lived. This, along with the use of nylon gill-nets by fisherman which caught and drowned birds, has driven this species into the abyss.


Madagascar's Alaotra Grebe was last seen in 1985 and is now Extinct
photo: Paul Thompson



Carnivorous fish blamed for grebe's extinction in Madagascar http://gu.com/p/2h8kk/tw via @guardian


Wetland aliens cause bird extinction

End of Alaotra grebe is further evidence of Sixth Great Extinction
Species are vanishing quicker than at any point in the last 65 million years http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/end-of-alaotra-grebe-is-further-evidence-of-sixth-great-extinction-1982947.html via @Independent