Around 24% of migratory species listed under the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals face extinction, according to an interim report released on Thursday.
The report, set to be presented at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP15) in Brazil, found that 26 CMS-listed species have moved to higher extinction risk categories.
However, 7 species have improved, including the saiga antelope, scimitar-horned oryx, and Mediterranean monk seal.
The report identified 9,372 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) important for migratory species, but noted that 47% of the area covered by KBAs is not covered by protected and conserved areas.
Overexploitation, habitat loss, and fragmentation are the greatest threats to migratory species worldwide, according to the report.
The conservation status of migratory species is deteriorating overall, with 386 of the 1200 CMS-listed species reassessed since the previous analysis.
The report flagged the ongoing avian influenza, which may have widespread repercussions for migratory species, and noted that the global extinction of the Appendix I-listed Slender-billed Curlew is now considered confirmed.
