Birds in danger of extinction because... 'wrong love'

One of the special birds in the Southern Hemisphere is endangered in numbers due to the shrinking habitat and a very "oops" reason: wrong mating.

Black-eared starling mainly inhabits some green areas of South Australia and Victoria (Australia), often sought after by bird-of-prey enthusiasts.

A purebred black-eared starling from Victoria

Their distinctive facial features make them look like masked superheroes from cartoons. Their bright orange-yellow bill stands out, contrasting with their light gray plumage.

However, according to Australian scientists, finding a genetically pure black-eared starling is increasingly difficult, even in places like "searching for a needle in the seabed".

An ambitious federally funded project is underway to protect the endangered black-eared starling.

Project leader, Dr. Wendy Stubbs, and her ecological team explain why they are threatened: The vegetation in the area has changed for agricultural purposes. More dams were built, herds of cattle and many birds "intruded" into the forests where they were rarely seen before…

As a result, the habitat of the black-eared starling was "divided into seven" with many animals such as goats, rabbits, and kangaroos from households. There are also golden-billed starlings.

Unlike the black-eared starling, the yellow-billed starling has long been accustomed to living with many other species. When the black-eared starling and the yellow-billed starling live closer together, they are more likely to mistakenly mate.

Hybrids of these two species are increasing in significant numbers, leading to a serious decline in the purebred black-eared starling.

Black-eared starling "hybrid"

Dr Stubbs' team will survey 200 preferred habitats for black-eared starlings in South Australia and Victoria to obtain genetic samples for analysis. From there, the team will calculate the level of mating going on between the two species and come up with ways to identify purebred birds.

In the future, Dr. Stubbs will also use "strategic removal" of key yellow-billed starlings from the black-eared starling habitat to reduce the odds of "making friends" between them.

"That means we can keep the black-eared starling in our ecosystem," Dr Stubbs said.