In a recent article, writer Ian Pattie from Earthwise summarized key findings from the report: �State Of The World�s Birds 2004�. Among the disturbing statistics are:
� One in eight of the world�s birds, or 1211 species in total, face extinction.
� Over 7500 sites in nearly 170 countries have been identified as important bird areas� Agricultural expansion and intensification threaten 50 per cent of important bird areas in Africa.

� Sixty-four per cent of globally threatened birds, most of them in the tropics, are threatened by unsustainable forestry.
� Alien invasive species threaten 67 per cent of the endangered species on oceanic islands.

The report goes on to emphasize that birds are �indicator species� that highlight the health of the broader environment. �The decline of bird populations in many parts of the world is of considerable concern, indicating a fundamental flaw in the way that we treat our environment.� �