Though we sometimes think of a rare bird as one that is colorful and lives in a tropical region, a rare bird is sometimes dull and lives in a habitat that is not at all tropical.
What is a rare bird?
A rare bird is not necessarily a tropical bird. A rare bird is a bird that, sadly, is usually endangered and is a rare bird because it’s not that common. In the U.S., many rare birds are considered endangered species. Before a bird makes the endangered species list, it first has to be placed on a federal list of endangered animals. Now, the animal can either be placed on an endangered list or a threatened list. Endangered is more severe because it means that the rare bird is becoming close to extinction. A threatened list means the rare bird needs to be closely watched so it doesn’t make the endangered list.
Once a rare bird has been established as an endangered species, it is protected by the federal government and people who capture or kill the bird can be persecuted. Placing a rare bird on this list keeps the bird and its habitat protected, leaving it in peace so it can mate and sustain itself to a point where it can hopefully be removed from the list.
Not all rare birds are endangered
It should be noted that just because a bird is a rare bird doesn’t necessarily mean that it is endangered. However, the nature of rarity suggests that there are few birds, which unfortunately means a rare bird is usually endangered.
Looking at rare birds
Let’s take a look at a few interesting rare birds. One rare bird that is found in a very remote part of the world is the white-collared kite. The white-collared kite is a predator that lives in the Alagoas and Pernambuco, which are two areas that are experiencing deforestation. When deforestation occurs, animals lose their habitat, often forcing a rapid decline in the number of species that can live in that area.
This rare bird has a white body and a grey head. Its white underneath its body and has a grey tail with a black strip wrapped around it. The white-collared kite is a rare bird because only about 50 of them exist!
Margaretta’s hermit is another rare bird. This bird lives in Brazil in lowland forest and is also experiencing deforestation, or severe human encroachment on its environment. This rare bird is not as threatened as the white-collared kite, but it’s on the endangered species radar.
