Scenario Questions Read the following scenario to answer the following questions. Birds are a widespread group of animals with approximately 10,000 different species found throughout the world today. Because they are relatively easy to find and so visually appealing, they have been studied more thoroughly than many other groups of animals. They are also valuable biological indicators because many species live in different habitats during different times of the year and cover long migration routes. According to the World Conservation Union, extinction threatens over 1,200 bird species today, and at least 179 are critically endangered. Some of the most endangered species include the Tahiti monarch, with only 10 pairs remaining, and the Bali starling, with only 12 wild individuals left. In Hawaii, the last captive po'ouli died in 2005, and the last two known to be alive in the wild have not been seen since 2003-2004. Common birds are also disappearing. In North America, red-winged blackbird populations declined by at least 1 percent each year between 1980 and 1999. These examples can serve as a warning. Habitat loss through destruction, degradation, and fragmentation are serious problems that affect 86 percent of threatened birds and are exacerbated by unsustainable forestry practices and intensifying agriculture. All of this shows that conservation of habitats is critical if many of the world's bird species are going to be saved from extinction in the near future. What is the greatest threat to birds today?
A) pollution
B) poaching
C) habitat loss
D) the illegal pet trade