RANGE: Brazil

STATUS: The World Conservation Union lists the fringe-backed fire-eye as Critically Endangered.

THREATS: Habitat loss

This rare Brazilian songbird is getting much, much rarer — and fast. Only between 250 and 1,000 birds remain in the wild, and the population is declining. We don’t yet have a complete picture of how the fringe-backed fire-eye lives. But we know all too well how it’s dying out: habitat loss. The fire-eye is now restricted to the vicinity of Salvador, coastal Bahia, and south Sergipe. The remaining birds appear to favor the tangled undergrowth of lowland forests and other semi-open habitats. The reason? It’s easier to find horizontal perches near the ground. The fringe-backed fire-eye is now protected under Brazilian law. The International Council for Bird Preservation petitioned to list it as Threatened or Endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1991.