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	(Ross's Gull header by Dave Hawkins)

Related Articles • Dominic Couzens, author of Atlas of Rare Birds talks exclusively to surfbirds • One Man's Quest to Photograph every ABA bird • Saving the Madagascar Pochard, the rarest duck in the World by Dr Glyn Young • Nikon's Best of Fall 2010 Photos • Nikon Best of the N. American Spring Photos 2009 • WWT Nikon Photography Winners - 2008 • Christmas Island, an ornithologist's dream • Biodiversity loss - what impact on the world's birdlife? • Global warming and it's impact on the world's birdlife by Paul Stancliffe • Book Reviews • More Feature Birding Articles Images of the following 79 species are still required for the book. If you can help and would like to contribute, please submit your images (click here). Akepa Loxops coccineus Alauahio, Oahu Paroreomyza maculata Antwren, Parana Stymphalornis acutirostris Antwren, Rio de Janeiro Myrmotherula fluminensis Antwren, Yellow-rumped Terenura sharpei Apalis, Kungwe Apalis argentea Bush-shrike, Mount Kupe Telophorus kupeensis Bush-shrike, Uluguru Malaconotus alius Buttonquail, Buff-breasted Turnix olivii Cisticola, Aberdare Cisticola aberdare Crossbill, Hispaniolan Loxia megaplaga Crow, Hawaiian Corvus hawaiiensis Cuckoo, Bay-breasted Coccyzus rufigularis Curassow, Alagoas Mitu mitu Curassow, Horned Pauxi unicornis Duck, Meller's Anas melleri Flowerpiercer, Venezuelan Diglossa venezuelensis Francolin, Mount Cameroon Francolinus camerunensis Francolin, Swierstra's Francolinus swierstrai Greenbul, Liberian Phyllastrephus leucolepis Greenbul, Prigogine's Chlorocichla prigoginei Green-pigeon, Timor Treron psittaceus Ground-cuckoo, Banded Neomorphus radiolosus Ground-dove, Blue-eyed Columbina cyanopis Ground-dove, Santa Cruz Gallicolumba sanctaecrucis Hornbill, Mindoro Penelopides mindorensis Hyliota, Usambara Hyliota usambara Imperial-pigeon, Mindoro Ducula mindorensis Imperial-pigeon, Timor Ducula cineracea Kingfisher, Marquesan Todiramphus godeffroyi Lark, Archer's Heteromirafra archeri Lark, Ash's Mirafra ashi Linnet, Warsangli Carduelis johannis Longbill, Pulitzer's Macrosphenus pulitzeri Lorikeet, Blue-fronted Charmosyna toxopei Macaw, Glaucous Anodorhynchus glaucus Megapode, Polynesian Megapodius pritchardii Metaltail, Perija Metallura iracunda Monarch, Fatuhiva Pomarea whitneyi Monarch, White-tipped Monarcha everetti Mountain-babbler, White-throated Kupeornis gilberti Paradise-kingfisher, Kofiau Tanysiptera ellioti Parakeet, Chatham Cyanoramphus forbesi Peacock-pheasant, Bornean Polyplectron schleiermacheri Peacock-pheasant, Hainan Polyplectron katsumatae Pipit, Sokoke Anthus sokokensis Puffleg, Gorgeted Eriocnemis isabellae Quail, Himalayan Ophrysia superciliosa Quail-dove, Tuxtla Geotrygon carrikeri Rail, Junin Laterallus tuerosi Rail, New Gallirallus lafresnayanus Rail, Plain-flanked Rallus wetmorei Sabrewing, Santa Marta Campylopterus phainopeplus Sage-grouse, Gunnison Centrocercus minimus Scops-owl, Biak Otus beccarii Scops-owl, Seychelles Otus insularis Shrikebill, Santa Cruz Clytorhynchus sanctaecrucis Siskin, Red Carduelis cucullata Sparrow, Worthen's Spizella wortheni Spinetail, Blackish-headed Synallaxis tithys Starling, White-eyed Aplonis brunneicapillus Sunbird, Amani Anthreptes pallidigaster Swallow, Bahama Tachycineta cyaneoviridis Swamp-warbler, Grauer's Bradypterus graueri Tapaculo, Ecuadorian Scytalopus robbinsi Thicketbird, Long-legged Trichocichla rufa Thistletail, Perija Schizoeaca perijana Thrasher, White-breasted Ramphocinclus brachyurus Thrush, La Selle Turdus swalesi Toucanet, Yellow-browed Aulacorhynchus huallagae Tyrannulet, Urich's Phyllomyias urichi Vireo, Choco Vireo masteri Warbler, Grey-headed Basileuterus griseiceps Warbler, Semper's Leucopeza semperi Weaver, Bates's Ploceus batesi Weaver, Clarke's Ploceus golandi Weaver, Golden-naped Ploceus aureonucha White-eye, Slender-billed Zosterops tenuirostris Woodcock, Moluccan Scolopax rochussenii		The World's Rarest Birds Through The Lens Winners of International Photo Competition Showcased Kakapo copyright Shane McInnes/TheWorldsRarest.com The winners of The World's Rarest Birds international photo competition have just been announced. The competition, launched in 2010, aimed to secure images of the 566 most threatened birds on Earth for a new book highlighting their plight. Thousands of images were entered into the competition and hundreds will be featured in The World's Rarest Birds to be published in 2012 by the ethical publishing company WILDGuides. Profits from sales will go to BirdLife Internationals Preventing Extinctions Programme to help support conservation projects worldwide. The World's Rarest Birds Photo Competition had three categories, and the winning entries in each were as follows: 1. Critically Endangered species (there are 190 such species) or species that are Extinct in the Wild Winner: Shane McInnes: a wonderful image of a Kakapo, a flightless parrot from New Zealand (see above). The Kakapo is a large, flightless parrot from New Zealand and one of the rarest birds of all, with only 124 individuals alive today. The main reason for its decline is predation by introduced mammals, particularly feral cats. Runner-up: Sávio Freire Bruno: a captivating photo of a Brazilian Merganser with ducklings. A fish-eating duck restricted to a few fast-flowing rivers in central Brazil and north-eastern Argentina. The population is less than 250 individuals and decreasing, the main threat to its continued survival being changes in water flow and pollution. Third place: David Boyle: a fantastic image of a Christmas Island Frigatebird in flight (see below). A large, kleptoparasitic seabird which breeds only on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. The breeding population is about 1,220 pairs, and decreasing, most in a single colony. The main threats to its survival are loss of its breeding trees and pollution caused by phosphate mining, cyclones, and possibly the introduced Yellow Crazy Ant. Christmas Island Frigatebird, copyright David Boyle/TheWorldsRarest.com 2. Endangered (372) or Data Deficient (62) species Winner: Chinese photographer's name to be confirmed: a beautiful photo of a flying Asian Crested Ibis from China. A medium-sized water bird that once bred in Russia, Japan and China but underwent a major population crash. It is now restricted to Shaanxi province in central mainland China, where just 250 individuals survive, though the population is slowly increasing as a result of conservation action. The main reason for its decline is probably linked to the loss of suitable feeding grounds due to the change from rice-growing to dry wheat production. More information here http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/266. Runner-up: Huajin Sun: an amazing photo of a displaying Red-crowned Crane (see below) from East Asia. A very large crane that breeds in eastern Russia and China, and in Japan. The population now numbers only 1,700 mature individuals and is continuing to decrease due to the loss and degradation of wetlands through conversion to agriculture and industrial development. Third place: Daniel Rosengren: a lovely image of a Marvellous Spatuletail, a hummingbird from Peru. A stunning hummingbird restricted to just two sites in northern Peru. The population is estimated to be les than 1,000 and decreasing due to deforestation for cash-crops such as marijuana and coffee. Red-crowned Crane, copyright Huajin Sun/TheWorldsRarest.com 3. Critically Endangered birds that are migratory (27 species) (Sponsored by the World Migratory Bird Day) Winner: David Boyle: a touching image of a pair of Orange-bellied Parrots from Tasmania. A small parrot that breeds only in a small area in south-western Tasmania and migrates to coastal areas in south-eastern Australia in the winter. The wild population is probably less than 150 individuals and decreasing probably due to the loss of its wintering favoured habitat as a result of agriculture and urban and industrial development. Erik Hirschfeld, Chief Editor of The World's Rarest Birds, said "We would like to thank all the photographers who kindly submitted their images to the project. Having so many amazing images to choose from will certainly ensure that the book contains the most complete collection of photographs of the most threatened birds ever published. We are working hard to complete the book by next year but, for those wishing for a preview, all 13 winning images, and those that were highly commended, will be on display at the British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water in August and are sure to cause quite a stir. Having now analyzed the competition entries, I am delighted to report that we have been offered photos of nearly 90% of the 566 species that are currently categorized as either Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered or Endangered. We are very grateful to Minox, Lynx Edicions, BirdLife International, WILDGuides, Princeton University Press and the World Migratory Bird Day who kindly agreed to support the project by providing a range of attractive prizes for the competition. I am sure that this support helped to encourage more people to submit their images for use in this important project." "We are delighted to be working with BirdLife in producing The World's Rarest Birds", said Andy Swash, Managing Director of WILDGuides. "Although it will be a wonderfully illustrated book, its key message is poignant – a large proportion of the World's birds, including every one depicted, is threatened with extinction. This is a great concern to many and I just hope that the production of The World's Rarest Birds will help to raise awareness and make some contribution to their conservation." Ade Long, BirdLife's Head of Communications said, "The response to The World's Rarest Birds photo competition was quite remarkable. The number and of entries was almost overwhelming, and the quality of the images just breath-taking. The book in which they will feature will, I am sure, be stunning and BirdLife is indebted to the many photographers who have contributed for providing the impetus to make it happen. About The World's Rarest initiative – Please visit www.theworldsrarest.com About BirdLife International – Please visit http://www.birdlife.org/ About WILDGuides – Please visit www.wildguides.co.uk About the British Birdwatching Fair – Please visit www.birdfair.org.uk