Oh ōʻō...

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"The ōʻō was one of 21 species that the US Fish and Wildlife Service removed from the endangered species list in 2023 because they had vanished from the wild."

"Grief is a rational response’: the 21 US species declared extinct this year"...[Guardian] indeed, but let's not get carried away [obviously the Guardian gets VERY carried away: "Global heating has also fueled extreme weather, exacerbated drought and wildfire risk, further imperilling the islands' forest birds".] by the various reasons for this and blame it on something that isn't the case. 

Yes, nobody should be happy at this sad news but many have 'been extinct' for several decades, it's not as if it just suddenly happened this year: it has been DECLARED this year. Still not good. 

Also extinction is totally natural in the cycle of things: still not good but it has always and will always happen. 

Avian malaria is one reason given - linked to climate change, natch - but more people doesn't help and more people means more land taken out of natural habitat, more invasive species that are the usual followers of human 'civilisation': pesticides etc; dogs, cats (*how* many birds killed?), rats...and more recently - although obviously not in rural Hawaii - tower blocks [a BILLION yearly bird deaths in the USA alone] and wind turbines (low on quantity yes, but high on 'quality', oops).