Bird watching is a hobby that is neverending. There are over 10,000 species that can be seen, from large to small, from plain to colorful and from flightless to flying. However, around 13% of all the population of birds is now in extinction danger. This makes it harder and harder to see some beautiful birds, many disappearing before we even know it. You will not find these in the very best bird watching spots in the world. Those listed below are among the rarest in the world, a real treat for anyone interested in bird watching. Learn more about them and do your best to find one.
Kagu – New Caledonia
Kagu is an almost flightless bird you can only find in New Caledonia. In the past bats were the only mammals present on this island but humans came and brought rats, dogs and cats. Because of this kagus started to disappear. There are only around 500 remaining, with really strong conservation measures being implemented in order to stop the population from going down even more.
Kakapo
This flightless, stocky bird can be found in the country of New Zealand. It is associated with the Maori civilization as it often kept these birds as pets, although they did also love their feathers and meat. As predators like stoats and cats were introduced, kakapos started to disappear. They are conserved and just a little over 100 are still left. They are all present on just 3 islands without predators that can possibly harm the endangered birds.
Palila
It is quite hard to see this bird since you need to travel towards Manua Kea’s upper slopes in Hawaii. Palila is really often found in the mamane trees as they love their seeds. At the moment there are around five thousand of these birds that are still alive and you will almost surely not see one anywhere else except Manua Kea.
Californian Condor
You do not need to travel to exotic countries to see endangered and rare birds. The Californian Condor was thought to be extinct because of habitat destruction, poisoning and poaching but there are still 22 that were alive after 1987, when people thought they disappeared. Now there are over 400 that live in captivity or in the wild. The lifespan of the Californian condor can go as high as sixty years. Because of this, there is a possibility that in some years we will see many of them in the US. However, at the moment it is really hard to see them.
Forest Owlet
These little owls were never numerous and at the moment people think that there are 250 left. In 1884 the species was thought to no longer be alive but in 1997 it was rediscovered. Its natural habitat is located in the center of India and now there is a necessity to take some extreme measures to stop extinction. Not much is done though so you may want to look for a forest owlet sooner rather than later.
Honduran Emerald
This is a hummingbird you can only find in the Honduras. The species is threatened because of the deforestation happening in the country. The really good news is that these birds are not really as rare as many specialists thought. There are numerous Honduran emeralds that can be found but they are only seen in some parts of the Honduras that are highly inaccessible.
Orange-Bellied Parrot
Last but not least, this Australian native is really interesting since it is a migrating species, just one of 2 parrot species that fall into this category. They have highly colorful feathers, with males having undersides covered with orange spots. In the year 2013 it was reported that only 50 were still alive. That is why there are special, desperate attempts to save the bird. Now we can see around 300 of these parrots in captivity.
