Dinosaur of the week: Great Tit

This Parus major was catching insects in the WWT wetland in London a couple of years back. Fewer insects mean fewer birds.

Dinosaur of the week: Reunion Shelduck

You’re not going to see a picture of Alopochen kervazoi because the species became extinct around the beginning of the 18th century. Reason for their dying out: hunting and habitat loss.

More details: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22729490/0

Dinosaur of the week: Crested Lark

Close to home in Oran is a scrubland where Galerida cristata can be seen and heard on a regular basis. At the moment, the species isn’t facing extinction (yet), but the overall numbers are in decline.

Dinosaur of the week: Red Kite

In Oxford, Milvus milvus is a common sight and has been for a few years, after a successful reintroduction scheme some decades ago. The situation throughout the Western Paleoarctic is rather mixed for the species, and overall not very bright.

Dinosaur of the week: Yellowhammer

This male Emberiza citrinella was singing in Austria. The species is in decline there; and it’s on the red list in Ireland and the UK. Reason: farming practices.

Dinosaur of the week: Red-backed Shrike

This is a male Lanius collurio perching on a maple tree in Austria. The bird winters in Africa and breeds in Europe. Its overall population size looks healthy. In Britain, however, it is all but extinct (https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/r/redbackedshrike/).

Dinosaur of the week: Southern Ground Hornbill

Bucorvus leadbeateri as I saw them in Kruger Park a few years ago. The species is the largest of all hornbills. It’s also classified as threatened and close to extinction, mainly because of habitat loss.