"Irretrievable"

Rare migratory bird is now considered extinct

The thin-billed curlew (pictured) was originally native to wetlands in Europe and Asia.

(Bild: APA Pool/ZB/Zentralbild/Z1014/H. Link)

According to the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), the thin-billed curlew is now extinct. It is the first time in modern times, which began towards the end of the 15th century, that a bird species that was also native to mainland Europe has become extinct.

According to NABU, the last confirmed sighting of the thin-billed curlew dates back to the 1990s. The species was originally native to wetlands in Europe and Asia. According to NABU, the migratory bird had a slender silhouette and a characteristic call.

Habitat was increasingly restricted
Extensive agriculture, drainage projects and urban development have increasingly taken away the habitat of the curlew. Resting and wintering areas have also been disturbed, for example by hunting.

Species is now "irretrievably lost"
 The conservationists described the disappearance of the migratory bird as a "sad milestone in the history of species extinction". The species is now "irretrievably lost".

"The destruction of intact ecosystems along the migratory routes of this species underlines the importance of international cooperation in nature conservation," NABU said. The loss of the species also shows "that extinction is not only taking place in the tropics, but also on our doorstep", said Holger Buschmann, NABU's regional chairman in Lower Saxony. This makes ecosystems less stable and ultimately has an impact on humans. More species protection is therefore needed.