Mining corporations threaten newly discovered hummingbird with extinction
Mining corporations threaten newly discovered hummingbird with extinction
'For every habitat we lose, we eliminate a stronghold for numerous species - and this can mean extinction'
Jane Dalton @JournoJane
1 day ago
Only several hundred blue-throated hillstars exist in the world, all of them in one area of Ecuador ( F. Sornoza / World Land Trust )
Mining giants are threatening to wipe out a newly discovered hummingbird, according to campaigners.
The blue-throated hillstar, which was discovered last year on mountaintops in southern Ecuador, is already critically endangered.
But mining corporations have gained the rights to move in on its habitat to extract metals, which experts say would be disastrous for the bird and other wildlife.
Scientists estimate there are only between 250 and 750 hillstars, which grow up to 5in long. They are unusual among hummingbirds because they are suited to the low temperatures of the Andes, the only place in the world where they live.
More:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hummingbird-ecuador-extinction-south-america-andes-blue-throated-hillstar-mining-wildlife-a8771266.html
