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Top 10 RAREST Birds on Earth!! From a rare pigeon with less than 10 left in the wild to a rare owl that won’t breed in captivity…stay tuned to number 1 to see top ten rarest birds on Earth!
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Transcript Provided by YouTube:
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From a rare pigeon with less than 10 left in the wild to a rare owl that won’t breed
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in captivity…stay tuned to number 1 to see top ten rarest birds on Earth!
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Number 10 – The Christmas Frigatebird.
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Automatically one of the coolest birds out there, this one has Christmas right in its
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name.
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Hailing from Christmas Island off the coast of Malaysia, the Christmas Frigatebird is
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one of the rarest on the planet and only lives in this small area of the world.
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It’s a dark black bird with a white chest, so it stands out very well, including to the
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eyes of predators.
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It’s not a small bird, as its wingspan can be as wide as 7 feet from tip to tip.
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Due to living on a tiny island in the Pacific, the Christmas Frigatebird lives off of a diet
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of fish and pretty much nothing else.
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Despite its larger size, though, these rare birds only weight in at about 4 or 5 pounds.
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Sadly, very few Christmas Frigatebirds remain in the wild today, with populations estimated
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to be around 5,000 or less.
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On the plus side, Christmas Island is very secluded, and is home to only 1,500 people,
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so its habitat is fairly safe from deforestation and development.
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That means these guys may still have a chance to make a comeback in the future.
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Number 9 – The Marvellous Spatuletail.
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Obviously another amazing bird, this one has the word “marvelous’ right in it’s name.
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Native only to a small area in Peru, this is a small hummingbird, with a unique look
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and very few members of the family.
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The Marvellous Spatuletail was first discovered in the 1830s by Andrew Matthews for his friend
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George Loddiges.
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George even got the bird’s genus named after him (Loddigesia).
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The bird has a unique look, which is rare all its own.
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Unlike other birds, the Marvellous Spatuletail only has 4 tailfeathers, which is much fewer
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than other birds.
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Also, two of these feathers help it to stay aerodynamic in flight due to their “Spatula”
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shape (hence the name).
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Over the years, population growth and deforestation have threatened the Marvellous Spatuletail.
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Luckily in 2006, Peru passed a conservation law that set aside 100 acres of land for the
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preservation of many different animals, including the Marvellous Spatuletail.
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So far, it seems to be working, as the bird’s population has stopped decreasing, and today,
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it is no more endangered now than it was over a decade ago.
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Next step…is population growth!
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Number 8 – The Orange-Bellied Parrot.
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As you would expect, the Orange-Bellied Parrot is named for its orange belly, but it also
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has a rainbow of colors all around its body.
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Blending blue, green and yellow, this bird stands out very well in the forest.
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However, it’s unlikely you’ll spot one as they are very rare and are on the endangered
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list these days.
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Before we learn about the Orange-Bellied Parrot, though, take a moment to like this video and
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This bird is also rare in design in relation to its fellow parrots.
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The Orange-Bellied Parrot is the only type that does not migrate during the colder months.
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But, living in South Australia is warm enough for them, I suppose.
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The birds are typically found low to the ground and hanging out in small flocks rather than
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larger crowds.
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The Orange-Bellied Parrot is critically endangered, a classification that puts them at high risk
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of becoming extinct.
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With only 300 or so left in the wild, Australian conservationists are focused on keeping these
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guys alive and getting more to breed.
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Luckily, some zoos have been successful and more are being born in captivity today.
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Number 7 – The Cebu Flowerpecker.
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Maybe the most endangered on the list, this guy was actually declared extinct in the past.
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Fortunately, in 1992, explorers in the Philippines found a few still alive, but they are still
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very endangered today.
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The Cebu Flowerpecker is only found in 4 small areas of the Philippines and is a very small
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bird at only 11-12 centimeters in size.
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They are colorful, with a mix of white, brown, orange and black feathers.
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They live deep in the forest, which helps to keep them safe from predators, but despite
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this they have been dying off.
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These little guys are critically endangered today with only an estimated 100 or so remaining
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in the wild.
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Scientists aren’t sure why they aren’t breeding as much, nor why they are dying off despite
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having few natural predators, but captivity breeding has been helping and naturalists
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will hopefully bring the Cebu Flowerpecker back to thriving status.
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Number 6 – The Imperial Amazon.
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Also known as the Sisserou Parrot, the Imperial Amazon is native to the island nation of Dominica.
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In fact, it’s the national bird.
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A very colorful creature with a mix of colored feathers, the Imperial Amazon is hard to find
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even on the only island it calls home.
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The Imperial Amazon is a very elusive bird, tending to stay away from people at all costs.
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Most of them tend to hang out in groups of 2 or 3 and rarely in large groups.
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Their feathers are a mix of red and green colors, making them noticeable as they perch
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on high trees.
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Unfortunately, their colorful look makes it easy for predators to find them.
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Endangered, but not on the edge of extinction, there are about 300 Imperial Amazons left
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in the Commonwealth of Dominica.
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Between predators, hurricane conditions, and poachers, there are a lot of factors working
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against these guys.
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And, with limited conservation resources available on the island, it may not end well for the
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Imperial Amazon.
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Number 5 – The Kakapo.
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Even though it has a fun name to say, the Kakapo is a weird looking little bird.
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Also called the Owl Parrot, because this guy really does look like an owl and parrot hybrid
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creature.
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Sporting a big beak and green feathers with purple talons, the Kakapo is a rare bird that
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is quickly becoming endangered.
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Making its home in New Zealand, the Kakapo is also a rare flightless bird, almost never
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taking flight for any reason.
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The weight of the bird is just too much for its small wings.
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Despite its deficiencies, though, the Kakapo has been a popular bird for New Zealanders
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for its feathers and its meat.
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Unfortunately, these factors helped the bird to become critically endangered in recent
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years.
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With conservation efforts now in place, they can no longer be killed for sport or meat,
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but there are only 150 of them left now…which may be too few to keep them going.
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On the plus side, they can live up to 90 years old, so there may be hope yet for the Kakapo
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to make a return.
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Number 4 – The Pink Pigeon.
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Can you guess what this guy looks like?
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Just as the name suggests, the Pink Pigeon would look very familiar to us city-dwellers
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in America, but this bird is native to the Indian island of Mauritius.
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It’s the only remaining pigeon species in that region and has been dangerously close
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to extinction.
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The Pink Pigeon looks very similar to any typical pigeon we are familiar with, but its
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feathers have a pink tint to them.
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Standing about a foot tall, these guys tend to live for about 15 to 20 years.
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The Pink Pigeon came very close to extinction in the early 90s when scientists figured there
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were as few as 10 left in the wild.
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Fortunately, conservationists were able to breed them in captivity, though, and they
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have been successful in releasing them into the wild over the years.
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Luckily, this has brought the population back up to around 500 today.
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Number 3 – The Mauritius Kestral.
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You would think any type of falcon would be tough enough to never become endangered, but
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you would be wrong.
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Another bird from the Indian Ocean islands, the Mauritius Kestral is a type of falcon
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with brown and yellow feathers and very sharp talons, but only a few hundred of its kind
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remain on Earth.
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It’s a pretty small bird at only 30 centimeters in size and only weighs 150 grams.
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However, it’s still a falcon, so it is well equipped to hunt and kill other wildlife in
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order to survive.
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The main course for this guy is a mix of lizards, cockroaches and small bugs, which helps control
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those populations on the islands where they live.
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The fact that any Mauritius Kestrals still live today is a miracle, as there were as
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few as 4 back in the 1970s.
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For a while it was considered the rarest bird on earth.
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Luckily, a group of universities from around the world took up the task of trying to bring
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them back, and today, there are 400 or so living in the wild.
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Number 2 – The Kagu.
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The Kagu is another rare bird with not many left in its population, and it doesn’t help
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that they only live on one island.
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New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific Ocean is the only home to this bluish-gray bird.
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As a mostly flightless bird, it lives on bugs more than anything else and has a hard time
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with predators, making it one of the world’s rarest birds.
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The Kagu is rare in more ways than one.
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It is the only bird with nasal corns…little flaps that cover their nostrils to prevent
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dust and allergens form entering their nose.
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They basically act like nose hair for birds.
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The Kagu is a very rare bird, but populations have been growing in recent years as New Caledonia
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has put laws in place to protect the bird.
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One of the biggest issues isn’t even poachers or weather, but the soil on the island.
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The Kagu lives mostly on the ground and is exposed to anything that soaks into the soil.
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As long as the island’s soil keeps taking in pollutants, the Kagu may be in trouble.
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Number 1 – The New Caledonian Owlet Nightjar.
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Another bird from New Caledonia, the Owlet Nighjar is a critically endangered bird with
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only 50 or so left in the wild and it looks like a small black owl.
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While it’s related to many other similar birds and scientists assume it sounds similar with
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a churring and whistling sound, but this specific bird has never been heard.
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After all, it’s hard to hear a bird when there are so few out there to hear.
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Estimates are at 50 or so Nightjar Owlets currently remain in New Caledonia.
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The nation has put laws in place to protect them, but it is hard to breed them in captivity.
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Unfortunately, it looks like this one may be on its way out for good.
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What do you think about these rare species of birds?
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Let us know in the comments below and…take care!
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This post was previously published on YouTube.
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Photo credit: Screenshot from video