Recent studies show that Colombia is facing a serious danger of bird extinction in the country known for its rich avian diversity.

The ProAves Foundation "State of Colombia's Birds" report, states that six percent of the birds in the country are at risk of extinction.

About 222 bird species out of the overall 1,903 in Colombia may not exist in the future if proper measures are not taken to ensure the safety of birds.

The study brings together decades of data from the IUCN Red List and Birdlife International. It includes information about the species at greatest risk.

The foundation said the Oxypogon guerinii, Pyrrhura picta and Eriocnemis isabellae species are in critical danger stating that birds are indicators of the overall health of the environment.

Compared to the coal mine and canaries, birds provide an early warning system about threats to the water, air, natural resources, climate and more.

"The underlying principle of State of the Birds reports is that the health of populations of bird species found only within a habitat reflects the overall health of that habitat," the report states.

Conservation is one major way to protect birds from extinction. American Bird Conservancy works toward preserving the lives of birds throughout the Americas including Colombia. There is an ABC-supported Cerulean Warbler Bird Reserve in the country.

People are the cause of most threats facing birds in Colombia for various reasons.

Free-roaming cats are the biggest human-caused source of direct bird death, taking about 2.4 billion birds a year in the U.S. alone, data from the 2012 State of the Birds report reveal.

Colombia is known for its extraordinary bird species because it has the largest bird diversity on the planet. The country engages in bird tourism with nearly 530 species living in the Amazon region.

ProAves network of private reserves protest most species that are under the highest threat of extinction. The National System of Protected Areas protects species that are under the lowest threat.

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