WASHINGTON: Yellow-Breasted songbirds – buntings – are nearing extinction, according to a new study released Tuesday, June 9, 2015. The songs of the species Emberiza aureola, which was once considered as the most abundant of all birds in Asia and Europe, may not be heard anymore due to Chinese eating practices. In 2013, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature declared that the China-dubbed “rice birds” are classified as endangered.
The researchers of the study found that the population of the songbirds declined massively since the 1980s, with a rate of 90 percent. The first population drop of the species was noted many years ago, prompting a hunting ban in 1997. People continued to hunt and sell songbirds, including buntings, to the black market, as these were highly demanded by consumers, particularly from the high-class society. East Asia experienced a boost in economic growth in 2013, which is said to be a factor for the continuous practice of eating buntings. Reports say that in 2001, approximately one million of the bird species were consumed in the southern province of Guangdong, China alone.
The buntings rest on the grounds during winter. Their wintering grounds are filled with large flocks of birds at night time, making them prone for capture by humans using nets. As they have distinct yellow underparts, the buntings are easily hunted by flocks of millions.
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