In keeping with the theme of yesterday’s post, “Where Will We Be in Y3K?” (the loss of biodiversity/mass extinction), here’s an article about another species faced with extinction which I received from fellow naturalist and wildlife advocate/animal activist, Barry Kent MacKay. Barry is also a great painter of birds, including this one of the critically endangered Gurney’s pitta…

Painting copyright Barry Kent MacKay

Published: 22 May 2013 Post Publishing:

Southern Thailand is home to one of the world’s rarest bird species, but authorities must act now to save it from extinction

From May to October every year, the Gurney’s pitta (Pitta gurneyi), one of
Thailand’s protected wild animals, have their breeding season. Their last
remaining habitat in the Kingdom is a small fragment.

The site is an Important Bird Area (IBA) and arguably the most important
one on the peninsula, supporting the richest lowland forest birdlife in
Thailand. …

The Royal Forest Department (RFD), the Department of National Parks (DNP)
and Krabi provincial administration have been able to halt the destruction and a
little of the lowland forest remains. It is estimated that there may be as few as 13 individuals (perhaps only four to five breeding pairs) now surviving…

Continued…Full story here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/family/351259/goodbye-gurney-pitta.