CANBERRA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Researchers warn the superb fairy-wren population in the Australian capital faces possible local extinction after the iconic birds suffered their worst recorded winter decline in 2025.
Less than half of the superb fairy-wrens in Canberra's Australian National Botanic Gardens survived a harsh winter, with 51 percent of adults and most chicks lost, according to a statement released Thursday by the Australian National University (ANU).
Another group of birds monitored by ANU experts at Canberra's Campbell Park showed a 70 percent mortality rate, the statement said.
The sharp temperature drop after a warm start to winter likely contributed to the high mortality, said ANU Associate Professor Damien Farine.
"We need some wet weather and stable winters," Farine said. ANU biologists have tracked the birds weekly since the late 1980s.
The local superb fairy-wren population, already down by about 65 percent compared to long-term levels, faces further decline and possible local extinction, Farine said.
Researchers plan to continue monitoring the birds in hopes of a rebound during the coming breeding season "if food sources are good during the spring and early summer." ■