For the white-shouldered ibis, lives are ones marked by a dangerous flirtation with species extinction. Fewer than 500 remain in the world. But the once common bird's number is not up just yet, as the ibis finds a chance for survival within the open pasture and cropland created by small-scale farms of Cambodia. The partnership could help save both the bird and a traditional way of life in Southeast Asia.

Farming and cattle grazing create ideal forage land for the birds and opens a clean line of sight for spotting predators and prey. These findings, published this month in the journal Animal Conservation draw attention to the friendlier side of human impacts. But plans for large-scale development in western Siem Pang, Cambodia, threaten both the farmer's way of life and one of the ibis' last hopes for survival.

Scientists, conservation groups and the Cambodian government are currently looking at ways to mediate impacts. "The Forestry Administration in Cambodia is supportive of a proposal to make the area a protected forest," said Hugh Wright, lead author of the study, in a press release, "and we believe that this - along with the continuation of local farming methods practiced for generation after generation - will be crucial in saving this once common species from extinction."

To find out more about the plight of the white-shouldered ibis, check out BirdLife International.