Last Chance to See (2023 edition) (1 Viewer)

[Tiraya]

I recall in the stone ages of this forum (aka 5-10 years ago) there was a thread like this that was still active, but I can't for the life of me find it. But let's breathe some fresh air into this subject.

I'm in my mid 20s, and although my parents are encouraging me to "do all that birding" when I'm retired, there's no doubt a selection of species alive in modern day that are not long for this world. It occurs to me that I really don't even have an idea of most of these species on the brink, and so I'd like to be educated. I would ideally like to see as many of those birds as possible. In a theoretical scenario where I have infinite money (unfortunately not in the present universe), what would my target species be, and how "doable" are they?

 

[Mysticete]

Hawaii would obviously be a priority. Some of the Kauai and Maui endemics might not be around even a decade from now

 

[temmie]

I coincidentally searched for these topics yesterday (tip: search by title only).

There are two topics:
last chance to see:

https://www.birdforum.net/threads/beyond-critical-last-chance-to-see.163712/

Last 'easy' chance to see:

https://www.birdforum.net/threads/last-easy-chance-to-see.164855/

First I'm copying Alan Lewis' post, next, I give some of my own suggestions and comments on this list that I know of (I am in now way monitoring all potential last chances worldwide, so feel free to add / update):

Alan's suggestions back in the days:
Asia: Jankowski's Bunting, Amani Woodcock, Okinawa Rail, Chinese Crested Tern, Cebu Flowerpecker, Jerdon's Courser, Baer's Pochard, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Mindoro Bleeding-heart, Sangihe Shrike-thrush, Caerulean Paradise-flycatcher,
Africa: Madagascar Pochard (non re-intro), Sidamo Lark,
Pacific: Niau Kingfisher, Marianas Crow
Americas: Junin Grebe, Hooded Grebe, Cherry-throated Tanager (getting harder..), Alagoas F-G (retained as current sightings at one small forest patch only), Yellow-knobbed Currasow (TBC - by Chavez), Grenada Dove, Stressmann's Bristlefront,

my own comments:
Jankowski's Bunting, Chinese Crested Tern, Madagascar and Baer's Pochard, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Niau (Tuomotu) Kingfisher, Junin and Hooded Grebe are slightly better off than some on this list that are in very serious (terminal) trouble (Jakowski's, CC Tern, Spoon-billed Sandpiper... were already discussed in the original topic).

I consider, from the list above and from own reading, Jerdon's Courser, Alagoas Foliage Gleaner, Stresemann's Bristlefront with no chances to see (anymore), and all of those are birds that haven been seen in the last 20 years (the Courser is the hardest to detect so it has a slightly better chance to survive undetected). Others that can be added to this 'probably exctinct but not officially declared as such' are Bahama Nuthatch, Cozumel Thrasher,...

Next, we have a 'realistic' last chance to see category (but hurry and/or be very lucky): Cebu Flowerpecker, Cherry-throated Tanager, Alagoas Antwren (not on the list above) and akikiki, 'akeke'e, kiwikiu and 'ākohekohe are almost extinct, if not functionally extinct (population size too low, treats to hard to counter). Last counts for the Tanager didn't get more than 9+6, the Antwren count was 6... The Tanager and Antwren can still be realistically seen, but it's really last chance for the Antwren, and while the Tanager can cling on, it's in dire straits. I have mixed feelings about Cebu Flowerpecker: the bird hasn't been photographed and there are no verified sightings in the last couple of years, so either there are no serious attempts to see it by people who report it widely, or it is simply not seen anymore. The Hawaiian Honeycreepers will go extinct pretty soon, and while I know the treats are complicated to tackle (Avian Malaria), I'm sorry to say, but those names don't attract attention of a greater audience to try and save them. Another addition to this paragraph may be Chilean Woodstar (won't survive for long).

Birds that are numbering just slightly more (and some could be placed in the paragraph above), but declining / very vulnerable are e.g. White-bellied Heron, Mariana Crow, the Sangihe birds, Botha's/Beesley's Lark, Masked Finfoot (Bangladesh and maybe Cambodia but very thin on the ground, or better: on the muddy banks and in the water), Vietnamese Crested Argus and Mindoro Bleeding-heart (I hope these ones are just hard to reach, wherever they still occur), Juan Fernandez Firecrown (cats...!),...

There are also some enigmas that could be still rather numerous, but have slipped off the radar as their traditional stake-out seems to be without the bird, and there are either no alternative spots or those spots are hard to reach:
Gurney's Pitta and Rufous-headed Robin spring to mind... I hope those make some kind of 'come back' in terms of secured sites where habitat is protected and there is a good chance to see them.

 

[Tiraya]

Thanks all! Duh, I searched so many title variations and lo and behold, my decided title for this thread is the very one that the old threads had. What a disaster!!

In terms of these birds, wow. Definitely some food for thought. I haven't the least idea on how I'd even begin to track down some of these, no doubt local guidance is mandatory for many, if these areas aren't too remote in themselves?

I just left off my last trip with good views of Akikiki and 'Akeke'e, the latter is extremely difficult even though it is more numerous, just because of its very secretive and unreliable habits. Unfortunately Kiwikiu and Akohekohe seem impossible since the reserve is blocked to the public.

 

[DMW]

If I was young and just starting out on world birding, I would personally be more concerned about prioritising countries / regions / habitats where entire avifaunas are under threat rather than focusing on a handful of moribund species. Basically any serious birding trip to the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam or Cambodia will involve looking for species that probably won't be around in 30 years' time. It's impossible to overstate the seriousness of the threat posed by Indonesian bird trapping industry, and palm oil.

The phenomenon of baiting birds to photo hides has also added a new dimension to the wisdom of taking opportunities while they last. There are some species that were little more than legend a few years ago that now come in regularly to bait. You never know how long such opportunities will last. To give a (non-bait) example from the old threads, Japanese Night-Heron has gone from being little more than a wistful dream to a roll-up and tick job (literally) in recent years. How long will that last - the punt-up and tick White-eared Night-Herons in Vietnam got poached?

I would also be looking at the increasingly unpredictable geopolitical landscape and thinking about which regions are might become inaccessible due to war or other factors. In the decades I've been birding I've seen various countries or regions come and go as viable birding destinations - Burma for example is probably on the cusp of being off limits (if it isn't already).

 

[lgonz1008]

If I was young and just starting out on world birding, I would personally be more concerned about prioritising countries / regions / habitats where entire avifaunas are under threat rather than focusing on a handful of moribund species. Basically any serious birding trip to the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam or Cambodia will involve looking for species that probably won't be around in 30 years' time. It's impossible to overstate the seriousness of the threat posed by Indonesian bird trapping industry, and palm oil.

The phenomenon of baiting birds to photo hides has also added a new dimension to the wisdom of taking opportunities while they last. There are some species that were little more than legend a few years ago that now come in regularly to bait. You never know how long such opportunities will last. To give a (non-bait) example from the old threads, Japanese Night-Heron has gone from being little more than a wistful dream to a roll-up and tick job (literally) in recent years. How long will that last - the punt-up and tick White-eared Night-Herons in Vietnam got poached?

To add my two cents as a "young" birder (still in my 20s), the problem with what can only be described as cherry picking birding in so many of these countries of Southeast Asia and and Western Africa, is that these locations require two things we normally don't have, which is time off and the resources.

Let's take the Philippines as an example, overpopulated, little to no habitat that even before the pandemic, birders going there said the habitat was mostly gone, I can only imagine how it is now, so what's the issue there? You either need to join spend 1-2 months to get most of your possible targets in the islands if you want to go all on your own as cheaply as possible, or pay a crazy amount to a tour company that is clearly aware that their services are the only option in these regions. Add insult to the injury, unlike the Americas, most of the wildlife is used to being heavily persecuted so sightings are brief, frustrating and you know pretty well that the place where you got your lifer will literally be cut down as soon as next week if given the chance. I know we are birders and part of the appeal of the hobby is to collect sightings of these creatures like baseball cards on a book or Pokémon in a game, but for me, it just hurts thinking I went somewhere in the vain hope some of my income could give a reason to protect these remnants of habitat, but they really won't.

Sorry if this sounded like the rants of a frustrated person that hasn't lived long enough to be truly upset at some of these things, but when I think to the places I've been to and how these places protect what habitat they have left (whether it's by private or government means), I can't help but wonder, why should I go chasing these birds in Indonesia or the Philippines, when I know that despite of the huge market these places have for birders, they do nothing to protect these species? I'm not saying any country does it perfectly, and you could argue many places are too late to make a change, as seen for most of the Hawaiian Honeycreepers, but if I'm going somewhere, I just want to know that there's a chance, even if tiny, that these birds will still be here if someone tried.

Extinction birding has never been something that appealed to me, I spent most of my childhood with dinosaurs and other prehistoric wildlife, and the last thing I want to say to someone younger is: "I saw the last member of xyz" with a smile on my face.

I would also be looking at the increasingly unpredictable geopolitical landscape and thinking about which regions are might become inaccessible due to war or other factors. In the decades I've been birding I've seen various countries or regions come and go as viable birding destinations - Burma for example is probably on the cusp of being off limits (if it isn't already).

As for unpredictable geopolitical landscapes, I can only imagine and dread how things will be in a few years, but what's happening recently in Eurasia is a sign of things to come, it might be best to visit China when the borders open, before they decide to begin the war with Taiwan and just lose out on seeing these two biologically diverse countries.

 

[temmie]

I find it really hard choosing between countries / regions / habitats that are severely threatened, and pristine, untouched destinations with tons of birds. The former is what the rational mind says I should prioritise, while the latter is obviously much more enjoyable.
I've done a really bad job in prioritising (or a good job ignoring) e.g. Gurney's Pitta, Stresemann's Bristlefront,...

I still hope to see the Pitta, but the Bristlefront is definitely gone. My only consolation is that I have seen Slaty Bristlefront, and that's actually often a consolation for similar birds, e.g. Alagoas Antwren is not the most attractive litte grey job, and while obviously better looking, I just hope to see one species of Bleeding-heart as I'll probably never have a chance to rack up all gallicolumba.
On the other hand, you have species like Masked Finfoot, White-bellied Heron, Chilean Woodstar that I definitely want to see.

 

[opisska]

Well "unpredictable geopolitical landscapes" also mean that a lot of places are getting more accessible - even though it's currently popular to paint the world as going into some kind of crises, it's a fad that has no footing in reality. Rwanda is now one of the safest places on the planet, who would have thought at some point! When I first heard about birding trips to Western Sahara, I thought the people were insane, based on what I learned at school, turns out it's now a perfectly safe destination. Colombia has massively improved, the dangerous parts of Peru have shrunk. Saudi Arabia has started giving out tourist visa. And to top that off, several countries have recently eradicated malaria, isn't that nice? All of this doesn't help the species that are going extinct, but the idea that the world is heading towards being less accessible is simply preposterous.

I would also like to comment on the idea of "doing all the birding when retired". That's monumentally stupid. Do what you like NOW, you have no guarantee of being alive tomorrow. Or it may happen to you that you will go to a doctor with a seemingly trivial issue and eventually learn that you will likely be in a wheelchair before you retire, this happens to people, I heard.

 

[DMW]

To add my two cents as a "young" birder (still in my 20s), the problem with what can only be described as cherry picking birding in so many of these countries of Southeast Asia and and Western Africa, is that these locations require two things we normally don't have, which is time off and the resources.

Let's take the Philippines as an example, overpopulated, little to no habitat that even before the pandemic, birders going there said the habitat was mostly gone, I can only imagine how it is now, so what's the issue there? You either need to join spend 1-2 months to get most of your possible targets in the islands if you want to go all on your own as cheaply as possible, or pay a crazy amount to a tour company that is clearly aware that their services are the only option in these regions. Add insult to the injury, unlike the Americas, most of the wildlife is used to being heavily persecuted so sightings are brief, frustrating and you know pretty well that the place where you got your lifer will literally be cut down as soon as next week if given the chance. I know we are birders and part of the appeal of the hobby is to collect sightings of these creatures like baseball cards on a book or Pokémon in a game, but for me, it just hurts thinking I went somewhere in the vain hope some of my income could give a reason to protect these remnants of habitat, but they really won't.

Sorry if this sounded like the rants of a frustrated person that hasn't lived long enough to be truly upset at some of these things, but when I think to the places I've been to and how these places protect what habitat they have left (whether it's by private or government means), I can't help but wonder, why should I go chasing these birds in Indonesia or the Philippines, when I know that despite of the huge market these places have for birders, they do nothing to protect these species? I'm not saying any country does it perfectly, and you could argue many places are too late to make a change, as seen for most of the Hawaiian Honeycreepers, but if I'm going somewhere, I just want to know that there's a chance, even if tiny, that these birds will still be here if someone tried.

Extinction birding has never been something that appealed to me, I spent most of my childhood with dinosaurs and other prehistoric wildlife, and the last thing I want to say to someone younger is: "I saw the last member of xyz" with a smile on my face.


As for unpredictable geopolitical landscapes, I can only imagine and dread how things will be in a few years, but what's happening recently in Eurasia is a sign of things to come, it might be best to visit China when the borders open, before they decide to begin the war with Taiwan and just lose out on seeing these two biologically diverse countries.

The premise of OP's post is seeing endangered birds before it's too late, not where will my money do most good or where has the most pristine habitats. That premise was what my post was in response to.

 

[lgonz1008]

The premise of OP's post is seeing endangered birds before it's too late, not where will my money do most good or where has the most pristine habitats. That premise was what my post was in response to.

You are correct, I apologize for going down that rant.

In that aspect, Asia seems to be the place where most targets won't be around in 30 years, another species in that mindset that I'm surprised nobody has brought up yet, it's the Great Indian Bustard. Seems like a bird many would want to see, but habitat degradation and power lines will make sure they don't last much longer unless there are big changes in India and neighboring Pakistan.

 

[DMW]

Well "unpredictable geopolitical landscapes" also mean that a lot of places are getting more accessible - even though it's currently popular to paint the world as going into some kind of crises, it's a fad that has no footing in reality. Rwanda is now one of the safest places on the planet, who would have thought at some point! When I first heard about birding trips to Western Sahara, I thought the people were insane, based on what I learned at school, turns out it's now a perfectly safe destination. Colombia has massively improved, the dangerous parts of Peru have shrunk. Saudi Arabia has started giving out tourist visa. And to top that off, several countries have recently eradicated malaria, isn't that nice? All of this doesn't help the species that are going extinct, but the idea that the world is heading towards being less accessible is simply preposterous.

I would also like to comment on the idea of "doing all the birding when retired". That's monumentally stupid. Do what you like NOW, you have no guarantee of being alive tomorrow. Or it may happen to you that you will go to a doctor with a seemingly trivial issue and eventually learn that you will likely be in a wheelchair before you retire, this happens to people, I heard.

With the exception of Saudi Arabia, all the places you mention have been accessible for more than a decade. Where else is getting more accessible? Socotra is all I can think of. I've birded in DRC, Somalia, and Cameroon, all more or less no-go now. Turkmenistan has closed to tourists. China has been closed for more than 2 years, still not allowing tourists to enter. Russia and Iran are not great places to visit with certain passports. Land borders into Azerbaijan are closed. Burma is in a virtual civil war.

 

[DMW]

You are correct, I apologize for going down that rant.

In that aspect, Asia seems to be the place where most targets won't be around in 30 years, another species in that mindset that I'm surprised nobody has brought up yet, it's the Great Indian Bustard. Seems like a bird many would want to see, but habitat degradation and power lines will make sure they don't last much longer unless there are big changes in India and neighboring Pakistan.

Yes, GIB is very likely to be extinct in the wild in the next couple of decades. I'm also pessimistic about Black-bellied Tern and Indian Skimmer. Asia isn't a good place to be a riverine species.

 

[opisska]

What happened in DRC? I heard the worst about it from people who have been there a long time ago, is it really more difficult now, or are people more aware of the risks? I honestly don't know because I never considered DRC a feasible destination. People are now travelling to Somaliland, from the few reports I have heard it's safer than Somalia has been for a long time. Turkmenistan has been ever open only to government sanctioned herding of tourists on predestined paths, so don't see much difference there...

 

[DMW]

What happened in DRC? I heard the worst about it from people who have been there a long time ago, is it really more difficult now, or are people more aware of the risks? I honestly don't know because I never considered DRC a feasible destination. People are now travelling to Somaliland, from the few reports I have heard it's safer than Somalia has been for a long time. Turkmenistan has been ever open only to government sanctioned herding of tourists on predestined paths, so don't see much difference there...

DRC is too dangerous, I'm talking about all of Somalia, not just Somaliland, and I do see a distinction between needing to be herded to see Zarudny's Sparrow and not being allowed into the country to see it at all.
Then there's Venezuela...
I've seen a lot of changes over my birding lifetime. Overall, Asia became much more open - visiting Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos weren't even a vague hope, much of NE India was off-limits. Independent travel in the USSR was not possible, and so on.
Africa has mostly gone the other way, with the exception of Angola and Mozambique (which is now slipping back). Yemen the same.
It's pretty obvious, to me at least, that we are entering a period of major instability and I can't think of many places that will become more accessible in the next decade.

 

[Tiraya]

Oh yeah, just as a general response to some talk above -- I'm definitely not only focused on specific single species, those are just ones I want to be aware of.

 

[Maffong]

Some species that come to mind:
Crow Honeyeater
Regent Honeyeater
Brazilian Merganser
Blue-eyed Ground-Dove
Siberian Crane
Philippine Eagle
several Vulture species
Orange-bellied Parrot
Swift Parrot
Mangrove Finch

 

[temmie]

Some species that come to mind:
Crow Honeyeater
Regent Honeyeater
Brazilian Merganser
Blue-eyed Ground-Dove
Siberian Crane
Philippine Eagle
several Vulture species
Orange-bellied Parrot
Swift Parrot
Mangrove Finch

From those, I recently saw the Merganser and Ground-dove and reckon they are in fairly well-protected areas, so aren't close to exctinction. The Canes are still in the 1000s, the Eagle is fairly stabel and Orange-bellied Parrot is magically climbing out of an all-time low count (I thought 20-30) towards 70+.
Mangrove finch isn't reachable anyway, so whether it gets extinct or not, nobody can see it.

 

[Tiraya]

Yeah when I was interning with the orange-bellied parrots, at one point I saw all the wild birds in one flock...it was 16 individuals that year (2018?).

Mangrove finch seems to be limited to a small forested region with a dock and a research station, but not open to the public. I think vampire finch is in a similar boat (hah), since no vessels go near the islands they are on, but they are presumably more numerous.

 

[Mysticete]

I'd be surprised if one of the more expensive birding related cruises didn't target vampire finch. There were companies at least pre-pandemic that tried for ALL of the endemics, including Mangrove Finch.

 

[jurek]

Mangrove finch seems to be limited to a small forested region with a dock and a research station, but not open to the public. I think vampire finch is in a similar boat (hah), since no vessels go near the islands they are on, but they are presumably more numerous.

This is another topic - birds impossible to see because of "conservation" restrictions for birders, but which real threats go as usual.

This is why I don't plan to visit Galapagos islands, which are eco-tourist trap, although i could afford it. I got a last chance to visit Komodo Island (although all its wildlife can be seen on nearby Flores). It is also one of reasons why I no longer support BirdLife - I am not a sucker, I don't want to support campaigns “help us pull money out of your pocket”. There is enough examples of real conservation, which cooperates with birders and addresses real threats.