7 Alabama animals declared extinct by the Center for Biological Diversity

On Monday, October 16, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed 21 U.S. animals and plants from the list of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately, this wasn’t because they’re no longer in danger. Instead, they’re officially gone extinct.

Seven of them are Alabama species—one bird and six mussels. Here’s what you need to know.

Bachman’s Warbler is now extinct

A petite yellow-and-black bird by the name of Bachman’s Warbler once flew through Alabama skies. Now, it’s officially become extinct.

“Bachman’s warbler was a small yellow and black songbird that once bred in swampy thickets in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee and overwintered in Cuba, where it was seen for the last time in 1962. It was lost to habitat destruction and collection.”

Center for Biological Diversity

Several species of Alabama mussels are now extinct

Alabama has an incredible variety of mussels along the Gulf Coast, but unfortunately, some of them are disappearing. Here are the six species officially declared extinct as of October 16:

• Southern acornshell
• Stirrupshell
• Tubercled-blossom pearly mussel
• Turgid-blossom pearly mussel
• Upland combshell
• Yellow-blossom pearly mussel

These add to the list of 600+ U.S. species likely lost to extinction.

“My heart breaks over the loss of these 21 species.

These plants and animals can never be brought back. We absolutely must do everything we can to avert the loss of even more threads in our web of life.”

Noah Greenwald, endangered species director, Center for Biological Diversity

Want to learn more about Alabama’s biologically-diverse mussel population? Check out these 3 freshwater mussels proposed for endangered species protection.

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