The Guam rail was extinct in the wild for nearly 40 years. Now it's back.

By Sarah Lazarus, CNN

Updated 1241 GMT (2041 HKT) December 19, 2019

There was good news for 10 species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) red list of threatened species in 2019. Eight birds and two fish, including the Guam rail, had their status "downgraded," which means they are less at risk of extinction than they were two years ago.
Photos: 2019 brings good news for some endangered species
There was good news for 10 species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) red list of threatened species in 2019. Eight birds and two fish, including the Guam rail, had their status "downgraded," which means they are less at risk of extinction than they were two years ago.
Hide Caption
1 of 8
The gorgeous, bright blue, Cerulean warbler, has had its conservation status moved from "vulnerable" to "near threatened." The tiny, insect-eating, songbirds migrate between their breeding grounds in eastern North America and their winter home in the Andes. Between 1970 and 2014, their populations <a href="https://www.partnersinflight.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/pif-continental-plan-final-spread-7-27-16.pdf" target="_blank">declined by 72%</a> due to mining, logging and agricultural expansion. However, their numbers have grown in recent years, thanks to reduced forest loss and replanting projects. <br />
Photos: 2019 brings good news for some endangered species
The gorgeous, bright blue, Cerulean warbler, has had its conservation status moved from "vulnerable" to "near threatened." The tiny, insect-eating, songbirds migrate between their breeding grounds in eastern North America and their winter home in the Andes. Between 1970 and 2014, their populations declined by 72% due to mining, logging and agricultural expansion. However, their numbers have grown in recent years, thanks to reduced forest loss and replanting projects.
Hide Caption