Blue-throated macaw
 
Renowned for his memorable visual interpretations of the writings of Hunter S. Thompson, Ralph Steadman has since transitioned to a less gonzo subject matter—birding. Next week sees the publication of a new book of Steadman’s paintings of endangered birds called Nextinction, as a follow-up to his 2012 book Extinct Boids, which, obviously, focused on “boids” that are, ah, no longer endangered. Both books were cowritten by Cari Levy. Nextinction came out in July in the U.K., but the U.S. publication date is September 15.

According to the Guardian, 1 in 8 species of birds is threatened by extinction. Steadman’s interest in the animal kingdom is not limited to these two books; he also published The Ralph Steadman Book of Cats and The Ralph Steadman Book of Dogs as well as The Book of Jones: A Tribute to the Mercurial, Manic, and Utterly Seductive Cat.

For more information on endangered avian species, you can check out the website for Endangered Species International. If you want to help endangered bird species, one of the concrete steps you can take is to build a pond in your backyard.
 

California condor
 

Red-crowned crane
 

Spoon-billed sandpiper
 

Great Indian bustard
 

Laysan duck
 

Rueck’s blue flycatcher
 

Philippine eagle
 

Grey-breasted parakeet
 

Forest owlet
 

Dwarf olive ibis (a.k.a. São Tomé ibis)
 

Eskimo curlew
 

Black-hooded coucal
 
via Coudal Partners