Question

Which among the following is a critically endangered bird?

• A. Great indian bustard
• B. Dodo
• C. Passenger pigeon
• D. Blue peafowl

Answer 1

The correct option is A Great indian bustard

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has published the Red List of Threatened Species which recognizes several categories. One such category is critically endangered.

Critically endangered species are those species which are facing extremely high risk of extinction as a result of rapid decline in their population.

The great Indian bustard inhabited the Indian continent and is categorised as a critically endangered species. In 1994, great Indian bustards were categorised as an endangered species. However, by 2011, due to severe decline in population, IUCN reclassified this species as critically endangered.

The passenger pigeon and dodo are extinct species. A species is considered to be extinct if the last individual has died or where systematic and time-appropriate surveys have been unable to log even a single individual.

IUCN classifies the blue peafowl as a species of least concern as it has lower risk of extinction.