The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has announced that 21 species previously considered “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act are now extinct. This process, known as “delisting species due to extinction,” means that these species will never be seen again. The FWS made this determination based on the best available scientific information, including factors like detectability, survey efforts, and time since last detection. Most of these species were listed as endangered in the 1970s and 1980s, with extremely small populations or already extinct at the time. The extinction of these species is a heartbreaking loss that highlights the urgent need for conservation efforts. One notable example is the Bachman’s warbler, a songbird that once lived in the swamps of the Carolinas. This bird was abundant in the early 20th century but became one of the rarest birds in North America by 1950, largely due to habitat destruction, hunting, and feather collection. The FWS has declared 23 other species extinct in 2021, bringing the total number of species extinct in the U.S. to 650. This is part of a worldwide “extinction crisis” caused by factors such as habitat loss,
https://www.pbsnc.org/blogs/science/us-agency-declares-21-species-now-extinct/