IUCN Red List 2025 Reveals New Threats and Success Stories in Global Biodiversity Conservation

The latest update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, unveiled at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, presents a stark yet balanced picture of our planet’s biodiversity. While climate change continues to endanger iconic Arctic seals and global bird populations, the report also celebrates a major conservation triumph — the green sea turtle’s remarkable recovery from endangered status.

The update now lists 172,620 species, with 48,646 facing extinction. But beyond the sobering numbers lies a compelling message — when humanity acts collectively and consistently, conservation works.

Dr. Grethel Aguilar, Director General of IUCN, summarized it best:

“While species like Arctic seals and many birds face growing threats, the recovery of the green turtle reminds us that conservation works when we act with determination and unity. The challenge before us is to accelerate this momentum before it’s too late.”

Arctic Seals: A Cry for Urgent Climate Action

The IUCN update reveals that three species of Arctic seals — the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata), bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), and harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) — have all slipped closer to extinction.

The hooded seal, once classified as Vulnerable, is now Endangered. The bearded and harp seals have moved from Least Concern to Near Threatened. The primary driver behind their decline is the rapid loss of sea ice caused by global warming, which in the Arctic is occurring four times faster than in the rest of the world.

Sea ice serves as critical habitat for Arctic seals — it’s their nursery, resting ground, and access point to foraging areas. As the ice vanishes, so too does the ecosystem’s stability.

Dr. Kit Kovacs, Co-Chair of IUCN’s Pinniped Specialist Group, painted a vivid picture of the crisis:

“Each year in Svalbard, the retreating sea ice reveals how threatened Arctic seals have become. Protecting them is not just about saving a species — it’s about preserving the Arctic’s delicate balance, which is essential for us all.”

The decline of Arctic seals is not an isolated tragedy. It affects polar bears, Indigenous communities, and the entire Arctic marine food web. As keystone species, their loss would ripple across ecosystems, threatening biodiversity far beyond the polar circle.

Human activities — including shipping, oil and mineral exploration, noise pollution, and unsustainable hunting — compound these pressures. The report calls for urgent measures such as protecting key habitats, enforcing sustainable hunting, and regulating industrial activities in fragile polar zones.

Global Bird Populations in Decline

The 2025 Red List update also reveals troubling trends in global bird populations. Of the 11,185 bird species assessed, 1,256 are globally threatened, and 61% show declining populations — up from 44% in 2016.

Habitat loss and degradation remain the leading causes, driven by deforestation, agricultural expansion, and logging. The most severely affected regions include Madagascar, West Africa, and Central America, where tropical forest loss is accelerating.

In Madagascar, 14 endemic forest bird species have been uplisted to Near Threatened and three to Vulnerable. The vibrant Schlegel’s asity (Philepitta schlegeli), known for its striking blue and green wattles, is among the newly threatened species. In West Africa, the black-casqued hornbill (Ceratogymna atrata) faces similar threats due to habitat loss and hunting, while in Central America, the northern nightingale-wren (Microcerculus philomela) struggles as forest cover diminishes.

Dr. Ian Burfield, BirdLife International’s Global Science Coordinator, emphasized that these findings signal a deepening biodiversity crisis:

“That three in five of the world’s bird species are in decline shows how urgent it is for governments to deliver on their biodiversity commitments. The good news is that recovery is possible — the story of the Rodrigues warbler proves it.”

Indeed, the Rodrigues warbler (Acrocephalus rodericanus), once Critically Endangered, has recovered to Least Concern status thanks to forest restoration and conservation partnerships. This success story offers hope that with sustained action, even the most fragile populations can rebound.

Birds are integral to ecosystem balance — as pollinators, seed dispersers, pest controllers, and ecosystem engineers. Their decline jeopardizes natural processes vital to human wellbeing, from food security to climate regulation.

A Green Miracle: The Sea Turtle’s Comeback

Amid the warnings, the 2025 update offers a beacon of optimism: the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) has improved in status from Endangered to Least Concern. This milestone is the result of decades of coordinated global conservation, particularly in regions such as Ascension Island, Brazil, Mexico, and Hawai’i.

Populations of green turtles have increased by 28% since the 1970s, reflecting the impact of policies that protect nesting females, restrict illegal trade, and reduce bycatch through Turtle Excluder Devices.

Roderic Mast, Co-Chair of IUCN’s Marine Turtle Specialist Group, highlighted the significance of this achievement:

“The green turtle’s recovery is a powerful example of what long-term, coordinated conservation can achieve. Protecting turtles also means protecting their habitats — healthy oceans, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows — which sustain all life, including ours.”

Despite this global improvement, challenges persist. Some subpopulations remain vulnerable to climate change, bycatch, and coastal development. But the rebound underscores that species recovery is possible when science, policy, and community action align.

Extinctions: The Silent Loss

The Red List update also records six species confirmed extinct, including the Christmas Island shrew and the slender-billed curlew, last seen in Morocco in 1995. Newly assessed species such as the Nullarbor barred bandicoot and the Delissea sinuata plant from Hawaii have also entered the list as extinct.

These losses remind us that every extinction represents an irreplaceable loss of genetic diversity, ecological function, and cultural heritage.

A Call to Action for a Nature-Positive Future

As the world looks ahead to COP30 in Belém, the Red List serves as both a warning and a roadmap. It underscores the interconnectedness of species survival, climate stability, and human prosperity.

Conservation is not just about saving animals — it’s about securing our shared future. The green turtle’s recovery proves that progress is achievable. The plight of Arctic seals and declining birds shows that urgency cannot be ignored.

Through global cooperation, science-based policies, and local stewardship, the world can turn this tide. The IUCN Red List is not merely a ledger of loss — it’s a manifesto for hope, reminding us that biodiversity conservation is humanity’s most powerful tool to heal the planet.

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