India, Oct. 10 -- Habitat loss driven by global warming is pushing Arctic seals closer to extinction, while bird populations are plummeting due to deforestation, reveals the latest update of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Released at the ongoing IUCN Congress, held once every four years, the updated list shows three Arctic seal species facing heightened threats. The hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) has been moved from Vulnerable to Endangered, while the bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) have been downgraded from Least Concern to Near Threatened, the IUCN said.

In a statement, the organisation identified the loss of sea ice due to global warming as the primar...