Aussie Finch Forum

With all the disasters going on lately it got me wondering about the fate of rare an restricted species from catastophic events. Here in the Philippines we have many island endemics and some are restriced to just a single habitat on that island. The red-eared parrot finch (my avitar) from Mindanao lives only on Mt Katinglad - thankfully an extinct volcano but it's not getting any bigger and so with climate change and land clearing it's habitat is getting smaller.

This morning there is a story about pyroclastic eruptions from Mount Karangetang on Sulawesi (Indonesia). Sulawesi supportas a unique array of Asian and Austral fauna a flora as the island is literally made from parts broken off New Guinea and slammed into Asia. Well what finches live there? A quick Google shows a number of munias, a parrot finch and a mistake (Pictorella) none seem to be endemics.

Tricoloured parrotfinch
Pale Headed Munia
Molucan Munia
Chestnut Munia
Javan Munia
Scaly Breasted Munia
Dusky Munia

I kinda beleive that when it comes to natural disasters mother nature has a plan whether it be for a specie to evolve differently or to dissapear , I dont know but it all seems to be part of a grand plan .

What is disturbing is land clearing and habitat destruction , I dont think mother nature has a strategy for that one , what we lose is at the hands of humans and I guess some species survive and others dont which of course affects other creatures that depend on the animal that has been anialated ie. spreading of seeds via birds faeces.

Animals / birds can sense disaster and will flee , they cant escape what humans to to their habitats.