we occasionally see a kingfisher at the lake,
but here is one that we definitely will never see, it is the moustached kingfisher, (Actenoides bougainvillei), it is endemic to Bougainville
Island in Papua New Guinea, and it is estimated that there are only 250–1,000
mature individuals left, its entry on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reads: “This spectacular species is judged
to be endangered on the basis of a very small estimated population, which is
suspected to be declining, at least in part of its range. However, further
research may reveal it to be more common.” it appears the
last sentence was taken to heart by Paul Sweet, collection
manager for the American Museum of Natural History’s Department of Ornithology, so they killed it, he told Audubon that he
and his colleagues assessed the state of the bird’s population and
habitat, and concluded it was substantial and healthy enough to withstand the
loss, even though this one was the
only male ever observed by science, so I guess the
entry should read there are only 249–999 mature individuals
left, it must be me but it seems to be a thing that science does, find
something rare and unusual then kill it.
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