Give Up The Bird Trivia Quiz

Answer: White-backed vulture

The white-backed vulture has a high survival rate from egg to fledgling, but by the mid to late 2010s the adult population was declining sharply due to loss of habitat, use of poisons to control predators such as hyenas and lions (the carcasses are eaten by the vultures), and even the livestock veterinary drug diclofenac.

Answer: New Zealand

This unusual bird (a member of the rail family) is about the size of a domestic hen with blue and green plumage and a heavy red bill.

It once ranged freely throughout the North and South Islands of New Zealand, but was deemed to be extinct for about 50 years, until a small group of survivors was found in the Murchison Mountains area of the Fiordland in New Zealand's south. They are now protected within a nature reserve.

Answer: Sociable lapwing

The sociable lapwing, or sociable plover, has traditionally been known to inhabit the central Asian steppes, where the population has plummeted. In the early 21st century, however, it was found that these are migratory birds, many of which overwinter in Turkey and Syria.

Unfortunately, they are hunted extensively along their flyways, contributing further to the loss of breeding birds.

Answer: Sumatra, Indonesia

This lovely bird has a bright chestnut head with a black eye stripe, and vivid blue wings. Sadly, despite being contained within a park habitat, it is extensively hunted and snared with little being done for its protection.

Answer: Redwing

The redwing was listed as near threatened in 2016. These birds are native to Scandinavia and Iceland where they breed in the summer months. Due to loss of habitat and temperature extremes, the numbers have been observed to be in decline.

Answer: MacQueen's bustard

This bustard was once hunted by falconers and hunters, causing its near-extinction. In Arab countries it was believed to be an aphrodisiac. However, conservation efforts are now in place, and there are captive breeding programs helping to arrest their decline.

Answer: Grey parrot

Native to equatorial Africa, this bird has a number of natural predators, including vultures and monkeys (which eat eggs and young). By far the largest predator is man. Over a ten year period from the mid-1990s, over 359,000 grey parrots were traded on the international market.

Answer: Great hornbill

Once again, habitat loss and hunting are major reasons for the decline in population of this remarkable looking large bird.

It has been extensively hunted by tribespeople for food and for its beak and plumage.

Answer: California condor

After condor numbers crashed due to lead poisoning, poaching and loss of habitat, the US government captured the few surviving specimens in 1987, and instituted a captive breeding program. They have been successfully reintroduced into the wild, but remain critically endangered.

Answer: Kakapo or Owl-parrot

As with much of New Zealand's native fauna, migration from the Old World resulted in mass extinctions due to the arrival of cats, dogs and rats. The kakapo's survival rested in resettlement to outlying islands, not populated by introduced predators.

The kakapo is a round-bodied, heavy ground-nesting parrot, which has a booming mating call. It is hoped that the resettlement projects will bring them back from the brink of extinction.

Answer: Carnaby's black cockatoo

The Carnaby's black cockatoo is also known as the short-billed black cockatoo. It has white tail panels and cheek patches, and an exceptionally short bill.

Its native habitat has been extensively cleared for farming. Mature eucalyptus trees are favoured for nesting, but many have been felled by farmers.

Answer: Southern cassowary

The Southern cassowary is the only cassowary to be found in Australia. It has glossy black plumage and a tall casque on its head. There are a number of populations, ranging from Cape York (Australia's northernmost tip) to the tropical rain forests of Queensland.

Answer: Elfin woods warbler

The elfin woods warbler was first described in 1968. Due to its small population, conservation efforts were started in 1982, but introduced predators such as mongoose and rats provide an ongoing threat.

Answer: Blue-capped kingfisher

This bird was classified as vulnerable on the Red List in 2007. Threatened by slash-and-burn devastation of the forest habitat, there is very little information on its present population, only that sightings have been steadily declining during the first quarter of the twenty-first century.

Answer: Bali myna

The Bali myna exists only in small pockets on the island of Bali. Interestingly, there is an ongoing conservation program which involves breeders being loaned fifteen breeding pairs. These breeders had to put up a cow as collateral in the event that all the birds died. 10% of the resultant brood was to be released into the national park; the remainder could be sold off privately.