The Spix’s Macaw, made famous by the animated film Rio (2011), has been declared extinct in the wild, but there are several in captive breeding programs as well as a few in private ownership.
Of all the rare birds on this list, the Madagascar Pochard, an extremely rare diving duck, has made a great comeback in the last few years due to successful conservation efforts.
Along with the Spix’s Macaw, the Hawaiian Crow, called Ê»AlalÄ by locals, is another rare bird that is extinct in the wild.
As its name implies, the Cebu Flowerpecker hails from Cebu Island, Philippines. Researchers believed severe habitat removal killed the Cebu Flowerpecker in the early 20th century.
Although the New Caledonian Owlet-Nightjar is on the bottom half of this list, it is the most mysterious of the world’s rarest birds.
The Imperial Amazon, locally known as the Sisserou, is found only on the Island of Dominica in the Caribbean.
The Antioquia Brushfinch is another bird on this list that was thought to be extinct for many years before it was recently rediscovered.