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June 19, 2008
Hooded Merganser admitted to the British list
The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus to Category A of the British List following a review of the occurrence of a female or immature at Oban Trumisgarry, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, from 23 October until 1 November 2000 (sight record, photographed).
Hooded Merganser has an extensive breeding range throughout wooded areas of the east and Pacific Northwest of North America. Its primary winter range includes the south-eastern United States for eastern birds and the Pacific coast north of California for western birds. In addition to records from the Azores, there are three accepted records (of four individuals) from Ireland, and there have been records of apparent vagrants from Iceland and the Canary Islands.
This species was formerly on Category B of the British List (on the basis of a record from the Menai Straits, Gwynedd, 1830-31), but was moved to Category E following a review in 1999. In 2001, following assessment of the 2000 Outer Hebrides record, Hooded Merganser was placed in Category D (BOURC 28th Report; Ibis 144: 181-184). There was considerable support for the record, but also caution about reinstating it on the British List given the very large numbers in captivity and the relatively large number of previous and contemporary records of escapes. The difficulties in assessing records of this species are illustrated by the fact that escaped Hooded Mergansers were recorded in both Sussex and Anglesey during October 2000.
Hooded Merganser, Shetland, Haroldswick April 2006 © Mike Pennington,
from the surfbirds galleries. Not the first but a likely vagrant in any case.
Since then, an emerging pattern of vagrancy to the Western Palearctic (especially the Azores, where there have been four records since 2001) combined with some evidence of an increase in numbers counted during Christmas Bird Counts in the United States (www.audubon.org/bird/cbc), has strengthened the confidence of the committee that the Outer Hebrides record involved a wild vagrant. The committee remains of the opinion, however, that most records in Britain and Europe involve birds of captive origin.
The Outer Hebrides bird occurred during a month of active Atlantic depressions which brought 13 American Wigeons Anas americana, three Ring-necked Ducks Aythya collaris, three Lesser Scaups Aythya affinis and an inland Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata amongst other vagrants from the Nearctic.
Hooded Merganser should be placed after Smew Mergellus albellus on the British List as follows:
Hooded Merganser A
Lophodytes cucullatus (Linnaeus)
One record: Immature or female, Oban Trumisgarry, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, from 23 October until 1 November 2000.
V monotypic.
Bob McGowan, Chairman of BOURC, commented “Hooded Merganser has had a particularly troubled route through various categories of the British List, but this only emphasises the complexities in assessing genuine vagrancy in waterfowl, particularly with species which exhibit moderate to high escape potential. For example, the National Waterfowl Census revealed that 206 Hooded Mergansers were hatched in Britain in 2001 so caution was justifiable. Since 2000, documented occurrences in the Azores, the Canaries and Iceland, as well as from Newbiggin in 2002 (British Birds 96: 606) and Shetland in 2006 (British Birds 100: 752), have demonstrated a tendency of increasing natural vagrancy, probably a consequence of the species’ better fortune in North America. Largely as a result of this evidence, BOURC voted unanimously to admit Hooded Merganser to Category A of the British List.”
The British List stands at 579 species
(Category A = 559; Category B = 10; Category C = 10).
Posted by Surfbirds at 2:21 PM | Comments (0)
An eye for the Maine chance
Maine Audubon has completed the initial stage of its Important Bird Areas (IBA) program, identifying 22 areas in Maine as critical to state and global bird populations.
“A diverse mix of habitats makes Maine an important place for about 300 species of birds—many of them threatened or endangered”, said Susan Gallo, the Maine Audubon biologist who heads the project. “But threats like inappropriate development, chemical contamination and climate change put them at risk. By identifying the most crucial areas, the IBA program helps us focus our conservation efforts where we can have the greatest impact.”
Piping Plover © Tom Prestby, from the surfbirds galleries.
The IBA program of BirdLife International is a worldwide initiative aimed at identifying and protecting a network of critical sites for the conservation of the world's birds. When complete, this global network is likely to comprise around 15,000 IBAs covering some 10 million km2 (c.7% of the world’s land surface) identified on the basis of about 40% of the world’s bird species. The effective conservation of these sites will contribute substantially to the protection of the world's biological diversity.
IBAs are locations that provide important habitat for one or more species of breeding, wintering or migrating birds. The areas meet thresholds for birds listed as threatened or endangered, for species of state or regional conservation concern, or for substantial population concentrations or unique species diversity.
“At this stage we focused on the most important spots on publicly and privately conserved land along the coast and major wetlands in southern and central Maine”, Gallo said. “We think this is a good starting point for engaging the public, working with landowners and encouraging responsible land management.”
“We see this as a locally driven, grassroots, bottom-up process,” said John Cecil, Audubon’s national IBA program director. “Local engagement is a cornerstone of the IBA program’s success in the United States.”
A national committee is reviewing several Maine IBAs that may qualify for globally important status. Certain sites meet global population thresholds for Piping Plover Charadrius melodus (Near Threatened), Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow Ammodramus caudacutus (Vulnerable), and Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus (Vulnerable).
Posted by Surfbirds at 2:15 PM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2008
Another wash-out for Ouse Washes breeding birds
Floods over the meadows of the Ouse Washes have wiped out the nesting season for wading birds for a second successive year.
Several hundred pairs of ground-nesting waders – lapwings, redshanks and snipe – have lost eggs or recently hatched chicks. The majority were on the RSPB’s nature reserve in Cambridgeshire, but also on land owned by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Norfolk, the Wildlife Trusts and other landowners.
In addition, roughly 900 pairs of ducks of seven species have lost their nests and eggs.
The Ouse Washes are now flooded bank to bank. Recent rain and rising river levels mean prospects seem hopeless for this year’s breeding season at this 19 mile long, internationally important wetland.
Lapwings © Pete Hadfield, from the surfbirds galleries.
These floods show the urgent need to create new wet meadows in the Fens, says the RSPB.
A further problem is that continual flooding makes management of the Ouse Washes impossible, jeopardising both its wildlife value and its ability to work as a flood defence.
Jon Reeves, RSPB Ouse Washes Site Manager said: 'The current state of the Ouse Washes is so frustrating for me and my team. As well as losing so many birds’ nests yet again, with the most of the washes under water since last May we cannot get out there to manage the reserve. No ditches have been dug out and the grass is in poor condition, urgently needing cattle to graze it.
'We have just 350 cattle here of the 2,000 we expected. These have been confined to the barrier banks and few higher marshes and we’ve had to evacuate several hundred. Grazed wet meadows are vital for wildlife, but they also make the washes work as a flood storage area. Right now, both are under threat. It’s urgent to get the water off the Ouse Washes and give us a chance to get the place up and running again.'
In March 2005, Elliot Morley, then a Defra Minister, announced the Government’s commitment to fix the deterioration of the Ouse Washes Special Protection Area. To fulfil obligations under EU Directives, the Government agreed to fund the purchase of land for habitat creation outside the Ouse Washes to provide alternative homes for these birds.
The Environment Agency is now leading this habitat creation project, to enable the Ouse Washes to continue to operate as a washland, protecting people and property. The RSPB is providing help and support to establish new wetlands without undue delay.
New meadows at Manea have attracted 69 pairs of waders this year, namely 26 pairs of lapwings, 25 pairs of redshanks and 18 pairs of snipe. This 76-hectare ‘pilot’ area demonstrates the feasibility of creating much larger areas of new wetland close to the Ouse Fens.
John Orr, Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said: 'Having cleared all of the water from the Washes by the start of the breeding season, it is very disappointing that unseasonable heavy rain has brought flood waters back. The flooding of the Ouse Washes in spring is never good for the many birds that nest there and we are doing all we can to remove the water from the area as quickly as we can, so nesting birds may lay a second brood.
'Since the flooding last year, we have worked hard to try and reduce the impact of the flooding in the Ouse Washes, including engineering improvements to Little Eye Sluices at Denver. We continue to work with the RSPB and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust to search for new land to create a safe habitat for ground nesting birds, away from flooding.'
Floods in the nesting season have been the main cause for the collapse in the Ouse Washes breeding population of black-tailed godwits, one of the UK’s rarest breeding waders. In 1972, there were 65 pairs of this elegant wader breeding on the Ouse Washes, this year there were just three pairs at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust nature reserve, all of which have lost eggs or chicks.
The Ouse Washes were built to take flood water in the Fens and beyond, especially in winter, allowing drainage of large areas of arable land and, in the process, creating a haven for wildlife within the Washes.
Since the mid-1970s, a combination of factors has led to more regular summer floods and longer, deeper winter flooding. This has led to frequent poor years for ground-nesting birds. There hasn’t been a completely flood free breeding season since 2003: recent complete wash-outs were in 2004 and 2007.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:38 AM | Comments (0)
British island adds two birds to critical list
Eight species have joined the ranks of the world’s 190 most critically endangered birds, and two of those are from just one tiny island belonging to the UK, following a revision of the Red List in May 2008.
The Gough bunting and Tristan albatross are both restricted to Gough Island in the South Atlantic and now face a very high chance of extinction in the wild following predation by introduced house mice and, in the case of the albatross, long-line fishing too. The island also supports another five bird species facing a high or very high risk of global extinction.
Gough Island, which is smaller than Guernsey and a UK World Heritage Site, is part of the Tristan da Cunha group, a UK Overseas Territory. The house mice, which were accidentally released on the island in the nineteenth century, are predators on both the buntings and the albatross’s chicks and literally eat them alive. The rodents also compete with the buntings for food.
Dr Geoff Hilton is an RSPB scientist who has been researching conservation problems on the UK Overseas Territories for some time. He said: “In the presence of house mice, the albatross and the bunting have no chance of survival. Things are getting worse and the only hope for these threatened birds is complete eradication of the mice.”
The Overseas Territories Environment Programme – a joint programme of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development – has paid for a provisional study which suggests that the mice could be eradicated by dropping poison bait from helicopters. Other governments are already funding full rodent eradication programmes on much larger islands.
Dr Geoff Hilton added: “The feasibility study shows there is a glimmer of light showing that we might be able to fix this problem. The UK government has supported us in discovering the problem, in conducting the feasibility study, and now in finalizing our plan for the mouse eradication.
“The big question is whether they will take their international commitments seriously and do what the governments of New Zealand and Australia have done, and provide the big money needed to actually do the mouse eradication. If they don’t, we won’t be able to give two critically threatened species the lifeline they need.
“The world’s greatest seabird island is being eaten alive, as the mice are likely to be affecting the fortunes of many seabirds on the island. Without help Gough Island will be likely to lose the majority of seabirds, not just those that are confined to the island.”
Gough Island, which has been described as the most important seabird colony in the world, supports millions of pairs of seabird of several species. Apart from the Tristan albatross, the island also supports the entire world population of the rapidly declining Atlantic petrel and a good proportion of the newly-described northern rockhopper penguin, both of these species are listed as Endangered in this year’s Red List revision.
The Gough bunting and the Tristan albatross are among 32 species of globally-threatened bird found on the 14 UK’s Overseas Territories.
Dartford Warbler, Cornwall, UK © Kit Day, from the surfbirds galleries.
Now considered to be near-threatened
Today’s revision of the Red List sees the Tristan albatross move up one category from Endangered and the Gough Bunting move up two categories from Vulnerable.
The announcement follows the revision of the Red List which shows that there are now 1,226 species of bird facing global extinction, and 32 of those occur on Overseas Territories belonging to the UK with more than half of these species occurring nowhere else in the world.
Critically Endangered represents the highest category of threat on the Red List and species at this level are deemed to have a very high chance of extinction in the wild. Today’s revision of the Red List shows there are now 1,226 species of bird facing global extinction and 190 of those are Critically Endangered.
The remaining six species that have become Critically Endangered include: the Spoon-billed sandpiper, of Russia; the Tachira antpitta, of Venezuela; the Reunion cuckooshrike, of Reunion, an overseas department of France; the Mariana crow, of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands, an overseas territories of the United States; the Floreana mockingbird, of the Galapagos Island, Ecuador; and the Akekee, of Hawaii, United States.
Six species have been downgraded from the Critically Endangered list:
Gorgeted wood quail, now Endangered
Marquesan Imperial pigeon, now Endangered
Purple-backed sunbeam, now Endangered
Gurney’s pitta, now Endangered
Rondonia bushbird, now Vulnerable
Somali thrush, now Vulnerable
One species, the Guadelupe junco is no longer recognised as a separate species.
Two more of the UK’s regularly nesting birds are heading towards extinction, following today’s global revision of the Red List.
In the latest revision of the ‘Red List’ by BirdLife International, the curlew and the Dartford warbler have been listed as Near Threatened, only one step below those species facing global extinction. Today’s additions swell the numbers of nesting Near Threatened birds in the UK to five; joining the red kite, corncrake and black-tailed godwit on the list of birds facing potential peril.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:29 AM | Comments (0)
June 11, 2008
Spectacular stilts step out
For the first time in over 20 years and only the fifth time in British history, black-winged stilt chicks have successfully hatched in the UK.
Stilts are one of Britain’s rarest breeding birds and the last time we witnessed such an event was in 1987 when two chicks were successfully raised in Norfolk.
Black-winged Stilt, Cheshire, 2008 © Robert Brown, from the surfbirds galleries
Tim Melling from the RSPB in Northern England, says: 'Black-winged stilts have extraordinarily long, spindly pink legs and even at one-day old they are abnormally long. The chicks are a buff colour with fluffy feathers and speckles on their back and head. They have really long, fine beaks like a needle.'
An adult pair was first spotted on their nest near Marbury Country Park, Cheshire, a month ago. RSPB staff and volunteers have been monitoring their progress and waiting with bated breath to see if they laid any eggs.
Black-winged Stilts, Cheshire, 2008 © Robert Brown, from the surfbirds galleries
Mild temperatures meant experts were quietly hopeful that the birds would be successful this time, and celebrations began last night when an RSPB surveillance team spotted three hatched eggs and at least one chick.
The RSPB has been showing thousands of wildlife lovers the uncommon spectacle of the nesting adults through its Aren’t birds brilliant! (ABB) scheme. There is a viewing point to ensure best possible sightings and it is hoped that the chicks will encourage even more people to come and marvel at these fascinating, quirky birds.
Richard Bashford, the RSPB's Aren’t birds brilliant! Project Manager, says: 'It has been a nerve-wracking few days waiting for the eggs to hatch. It's been such a long time since they were successful and we’ve all been hopeful with the mild weather, but when we heard there were three chicks we were overjoyed.
'Now we are looking forward to showing as many people as possible the chicks – their unfeasibly long legs make them really interesting birds and children and adults alike love to learn that what appear to their knees are actually their ankles!
'Watching the chicks learn how to use them will no doubt be very entertaining, its amazing how they manage it.'
The stilts are just one of many ABB schemes happening across the UK this year. The 2008 season promises to be the biggest yet, with more than 60 projects showing people birds like peregrine falcons, white-tailed eagles, puffins, choughs, great crested grebes and roosting starlings.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:01 AM | Comments (0)
Potatoes come to rescue of Yellow Wagtails
The British Trust for Ornithology has recently published results from the latest study into the breeding success of the Yellow Wagtail. In his article – Spuds they like – James Gilroy explains that potatoes are coming to the rescue of this amber-listed species of conservation concern.
Yellow Wagtails migrate to Britain from West Africa to breed during the summer months – the first birds should be returning any day now. They were once a familiar bird, feeding at the feet of grazing animals in pasture and wet meadows, but the number of Yellow Wagtails has declined by an estimated 65% in the UK since 1970. The results of a Lincolnshire study undertaken by James Gilroy of the University of East Anglia are published in the latest BTO News (the membership magazine of the British Trust for Ornithology).
Yellow Wagtail © Nigel Blake, from the surfbirds galleries
According to Dr Gilroy’s research, Yellow Wagtails need to have two nesting attempts each year if they are to raise sufficient youngsters to stem the decline in numbers. Yellow Wagtails nest on the ground; raising their first broods in autumn-sown cereal crops but switching to other crops in June and July, when cereal crops become too tall and impenetrable.
As Dr Gilroy explains: “When Yellow Wagtails first return to arable farmland from their African winter quarters in April, they tend to establish territories in autumn-sown cereal fields. During the early summer, winter-wheat crops shoot from 20 cm up to at least 70 cm in just a few short weeks. Pairs that are already nesting in cereal fields will stay there until the chicks fledge but any birds looking to establish new nests will prefer to switch to non-cereal crops, including peas, field beans and potatoes, the last being by far the most preferred crop. The loose canopy of a potato field appears to be ideal habitat, providing easy access to the ground as well as allowing adequate concealment of nests.”
Overall breeding success in the study was relatively low, with 59% of attempts failing completely. Ground nesters suffer predation by mammal and birds. In this study, rates of predation were highest in field beans, where nests were often poorly concealed. With low rates of chick production, the recovery of the Yellow Wagtail is heavily dependent on the number of broods that can be attempted in a single season. At the current level of productivity, and given that most second broods seem to only occur in potatoes, the availability of this crop could determine the fate of this species.
James Gilroy concludes that, “Yellow Wagtail is currently amber listed as a bird of conservation concern. Given that there has been a marked decline since the 1980s, potato crops could be crucial to the future breeding.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:54 AM | Comments (0)
June 6, 2008
Tricoloured mega-colony saved
Audubon California has announced that it has reached an agreement with a farmer to safeguard a single colony of about 80,000 Tricoloured Blackbirds Agelaius tricolor – nearly a third of the world’s population of this Endangered species.
The estimated global population of Tricoloured Blackbirds is 250,000 to 300,000 birds, with at least 95% of these occurring in California. Tricoloured Blackbirds have declined dramatically in the past century as native wetland habitat has been lost and the species has consequently been classified as Endangered. Tricoloured Blackbirds form just a few large nesting colonies each year, and in most cases these occur in crop fields. This puts the colonies in grave danger when farmers cultivate the field before young birds are able to fly.
Tri-coloured Blackbird © Martin Meyers, courtesy of Birdlife International
“This is really a great victory for conservation, and an example of how conservation and agricultural interests can work together to find real solutions”, said Graham Chisholm, director of conservation for Audubon California. “The Tricoloured Blackbird is an important part of California’s natural beauty, and this agreement, combined with other conservation measures, will help to ensure that it has a healthy future.”
Through a cooperative agreement with Audubon California, the farmer will delay the harvest of 65 hectares where the colony is nesting. This delay will provide enough time for the young to leave the nest, ensuring the success of the state’s largest breeding colony. Because the delay in harvesting will reduce the market value of the crop, Audubon California has agreed to compensate the farmer for any lost value.
“Audubon is grateful that this farmer was willing work with us to craft a solution to save this mega-colony of Tricoloured Blackbirds”, said Chisholm. “We’ve found that the more we talk about these issues, the more we understand that we don’t necessarily have to choose between the protection of important species and the economic interests of farming communities.”
Public and private land managers are working to manage habitat for Tricoloured Blackbirds in order to encourage the birds to nest in wetlands and other secure habitats as opposed to agricultural fields. Audubon California is part of a statewide working group, including public agencies, farmer and rancher organizations, conservation organizations, researchers from UC Davis and others to develop a comprehensive strategy to protect Tricoloured Blackbirds.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:54 AM | Comments (0)
New hope for Regent Honeyeater
The release of Regent Honeyeater Xanthomyza phrygia back into the wild provides new hope for the Endangered species. In total, twenty-seven birds, all fitted with radio transmitters, have been released into the Chiltern National Park (Australia). Community involvement is now playing a vital part in monitoring activities. A bird has already been re-sighted next to a wild bird - the first wild Regent Honeyeater in the park for 18 months!
The Regent Honeyeater, with its brilliant flashes of yellow feathers, was once seen in flocks hundreds-strong. “Recent surveys have suggested that the species has declined dramatically during the past five years,” warned David Geering (National Regent Honeyeater Recovery project Co-ordinator). “There could be as few as 1,000 birds left in the wild.”
Regent Honeyeater © Dean Ingwersen, courtesy of Birdlife International
One of the Endangered Regent Honeyeaters Xanthomyza phrygia - released into the Chiltern National Park (Australia) - wearing its newly-acquired radio transmitter which is allowing scientists to monitor project success.
Conservation partnerships between government agencies, Birds Australia (BirdLife in Australia), community groups and landholders, have sought to protect the Regent Honeyeater's habitat and ensure this species continues to exist in the wild. Efforts are now focused on protecting and restoring habitat at regularly-used sites.
Chiltern National Park was selected as the release location. “The park provides a relatively large, intact, protected area of habitat for the species,” said Sarah Kelly Biodiversity Officer for the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE). “The releases coincide with good Ironbark and White Box flowering which will provide a critical food source for the birds”, Ms Kelly said.
Post-release monitoring is now a key activity. “The birds have been fitted with small radio-transmitters and coloured leg bands to assist with the monitoring”, said Dean Ingwersen from Birds Australia's Threatened Bird Network. A monitoring team - including specially trained community volunteers - are following the birds. “Community involvement in the monitoring of released birds is vital to the project’s success”, commented Mr Ingwersen.
The birds have been recorded behaving naturally. “On many occasions honeyeaters fed on nectar within ten minutes of their release, with many birds even hawking insects soon after leaving the aviaries!” stated Mr Ingwersen.
One of the earliest birds to be released was quickly re-sighted next to a wild bird - the first confirmed wild Regent Honeyeater in Chiltern National Park for 18 months. Several other wild Regent Honeyeaters have now been seen in association with the released birds. “This is a fantastic result and validates all of our hard work. We are now hoping to observe breeding - in terms of desired post-release outcomes it's the only thing missing!” Commented Mr Ingwersen.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:45 AM | Comments (0)
Malta - one of the top birding destinations in Europe
Hadoram Shirihai is fresh off a boat trip to photograph Mediterranean Storm-petrels here in Malta and he is excited. “We had a pod of common dolphins, twenty-five of them, circling close to us and fishing with the shearwaters. The birds were feeding among the dolphins and picking off the fish they missed. We could have watched them all day, they were so close….. but we had to go on to find the storm-petrels”.
When a man like Hadoram Shirihai is excited about birding in Malta, you know it’s serious. Shirihai is a heavy-weight ornithologist from Israel, widely acknowledged as the foremost middle-eastern authority on birds. His published works include The Birds of Israel which was awarded 'Best Bird Book of the Year' by British Birds and Birdwatch. He also won awards for A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife, while The Macmillan Birder's Guide to European and Middle Eastern Birds is a summary of 30 years of field research. Amongst these achievements, he recently rediscovered Beck’s Petrel which had been believed to be extinct for around 80 years. Last week, he flew to Malta specifically to meet John J. Borg of Heritage Malta and the EU LIFE Yelkouan Shearwater Project so that John could show him the very special storm-petrels that breed on Filfla.
Storm Petrel © Joe Cockram, from the surfbirds galleries
His enthusiasm for the seabird populations here in the islands was infectious. “What a trip!” he enthused. “We left port at 4.30am and headed straight out beyond Filfla. John has a secret recipe which he puts into the water to tempt the birds in and we spent a lot of time bobbing on the sea with the birds just out of range of the camera. The Cory’s and Yelkouan Shearwaters came close to the boat, but the storm-petrels were more wary.” John confirms, “Every time we swung round to get close, they backed away, ‘running’ on the waves before take off, as if they were teasing us. These birds are a little camera shy which is why getting a good photo of them at sea is such a prize.”
Having seen just a little bit of what Malta has to offer, Shirihai feels that the islands have the potential to be one of the top birding destinations in Europe in terms of migration. “I can see the parallels in Malta with the birding situation in Eilat in Israel in the 1970s,” he says. At that time, birding tourism was just about to start its meteoric rise up the economic agenda. Bird-watching in Malta now seems set to see a similar explosion in popularity in the coming years.
Shirihai is already planning his next trip to Malta, hoping to arrive in June to finally snap those elusive storm-petrels so that they can feature in his current work, a handbook on seabirds which is still a work in progress. And with his eye for a great birding destination, where Shirihai goes, it’s worth other birders following – so pack your binos; we’ll see you in Malta!
The Yelkouan Shearwater Project is a partnership initiative of 4 government authorities (Heritage Malta, Malta Martime Authority, Malta Centre for Fisheries Sciences and the Armed Forces of Malta) and 3 conservation organisations (BirdLife Malta, SPEA – BirdLife Portugal and RSPB – BirdLife UK). It is part funded by the EU and receives financial contributions from HSBC and MEPA. To find out more visit www.lifeshearwaterproject.org.mt
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:36 AM | Comments (0)
June 3, 2008
UN joins environmental calls for Russia to move Olympic site
Greenpeace warns Olympic Village threatens rare and endangered species.
Greenpeace welcomes the United Nations Environment Programme’s criticism of plans to build 2014 Winter Olympics facilities on a site critical to rare and endangered species.
The site, Grushevy Ridge, is a conservation border area, legally protected from being built on because of its importance to wildlife and nature. Greenpeace Russia is calling on the Sochi-2014 organising committee, state corporation Olympstroy, which is in charge of constructing the venues and related infrastructure, and the International Olympic Committee to build the Games’ Olympic Village and luge-bobsleigh route in an area not under threat.
In its ‘Sochi 2014 – UNEP Mission Report’, released today, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced it “encourage[s] the partners in the Russian Federation and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to look into the suitability of alternative locations. Our view is that the currently planned location may compromise other efforts to ensure the Games are environmentally friendly.”
The Grushevy Ridge is important for a number of rare and endangered species, among which are the West Caucasian chamois and West Caucasian tur, listed as endangered on the 2007 International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The site borders the Western Caucasus UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the Caucasus State Biosphere Nature Reserve.
“It is crucial the Russian authorities and IOC recognise the need to protect Russia’s precious wild habitat and move the Winter Olympics away from the Grushevy Ridge. We are eager to help the Olympic authorities find a site that will not threaten wildlife and promote environmentalism for the Olympic Games in 2014,” Andrey Petrov, Greenpeace Russia World Heritage Program Coordinator says.
Greenpeace Russia, WWF-Russia and Transparent World, a non-commercial partnership, have proposed 16 alternative sites for the Olympic Village and luge-bobsleigh route. All conform to the International Luge and International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federations’ requirements, and would not damage the environment.
Despite sending details of alternative sites to the Sochi-2014 Organising Committee on 22 February, the Committee failed to forward them to the respective sporting federations and IOC. This is despite an agreement to do so following a round table meeting in January. Greenpeace Russia met the IOC in Sochi on 23 April, and submitted the list of alternative sites directly.
During an IOC Coordinating Commission visit to Sochi in April, the Russian authorities declared no venue would be changed. Greenpeace hopes the UN Environmental Programme’s recommendations will change this decision and encourage the International Olympic Committee to consider alternative sites that take environmental impact into account.
See http://www.iucnredlist.org/info/introduction for the International Union for
Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:20 AM | Comments (0)
June 2, 2008
UN Conference fails life on Earth
With only 18 months to go until 2010, BirdLife urges the global community to face reality, cooperate and take responsibility for future generations
The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) fails to address the urgency of biodiversity loss by 2010. Although 191 countries agreed in Bonn that the diversity of life on Earth is essential for human survival, and despite scientific proof that species are rapidly declining, they were unable to agree on many of the concrete steps forward that would have been necessary.
The global Partnership of BirdLife International today expressed its deep disappointment at the lack of progress, especially on financing biodiversity, protected areas and tackling the increasing threat to biodiversity from climate change.
Dr Mike Rands, Director and Chief Executive of BirdLife International stressed “Despite good leadership shown from Germany, most other rich countries have failed to match their words with financial commitments. BirdLife urges governments to recognise the urgency and importance of biodiversity conservation, by immediately making money available to save life on Earth.”
At the conference an economic study was presented showing that if investments are made now, the costs will be far lower than if we delay.
Governments were also unable to agree on concrete steps to establish a global network of protected areas. Without a comprehensive network of protected areas it is highly unlikely that the global community will meet its 2010 commitments.
Climate change presents an unprecedented threat to humans and nature. At the same time, biodiversity plays a crucial role in enabling us to overcome the challenges of climate change. Despite this, with final conclusions pending, the Bonn conference risks failing to establish the urgently needed cooperation between the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The conference also missed the opportunity to take immediate action to prevent damage to biodiversity from biofuels.
With only 18 months to go until 2010, BirdLife urges the global community to face reality, cooperate and take responsibility for future generations.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:15 AM | Comments (0)
WWF applauds “Stern-like” recognition of biodiversity loss as key global issue
At the end of May 2008 WWF welcomed the long overdue recognition of biodiversity as a key development issue, in a major report released today at the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Bonn, Germany.
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) , initiated by CBDhost government Germany and the G8 Environment Ministers and supported by European Commission, has been likened to the equivalent for biodiversity of the key Stern report which transformed the climate change debate by clearly outlining adverse consequences to the world economy.
“Biodiversity is not just a green issue – it is the life support system of our planet providing food, fuel, fibre, medicines and services such as pollination, soil fertility and clean water, said Gordon Shepherd, WWF International’s Director of International Policy.
“We have to integrate biodiversity in all policies. The loss of biodiversity is now affecting the economy of our countries through the depletion of fish stocks in our oceans through overfishing and illegal fishing to agricultural activities polluting river basins.”
“The TEEB report recognises the economic value of biodiversity both to our global economy and for the millions of people directly dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods.”
WWF’s report 2010 and Beyond: Rising to the Biodiversity Challenge, released as the CBDcommenced, revealed that biodiversity has declined by more than a quarter in the last 35 years andd highlighted the inequitable burden placed by developed countries on the world’s biodiversity through unsustainable production and consumption.
Another WWF report released at the CBDestimated that the value of goods and services provided by our oceans is $US21 trillion, with only 0.5 per cent of ocean areas within protected areas.
“The loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services is undermining efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and is reducing nature’s natural resilience to adapt to the impacts of climate change,” said Shepherd.
WWF believes that financial resources are urgently needed to meet the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity. In addition to traditional sources from international financing and national budgets, new and additional funding should be sought through the identification of innovative financial mechanisms such as payments for ecosystem services.
The EU also has a role to play in raising awareness on the importance of addressing biodiversity and the value of the ecosystem services as central issues for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
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