September 6, 2008
Peru’s spectacular seabirds seeking sanctuary
Peru’s seabirds, especially the spectacular aggregations at its guano islands, are world famous. However, a new BirdLife report indicates that many of the sites and species are under increased threat and urgently need better protection.
The new report - jointly published with the American Bird Conservancy - details the outcomes of a workshop held in Lima (Peru) last year entitled “Seabirds and Seabird-Fishery Interactions”. The objective was to bring together individuals and organisations working on seabird-related topics in Peru in order to develop a coordinated plan of action in relation to seabird conservation and management priorities. The workshop focussed on identifying breeding sites for key species and addressing the principal threats to these.
Peruvian Tern © Dubi Shapiro, from the surfbirds galleries
Paramount is the need to take action now to preserve the Peruvian guano islands, whose seabird populations have decreased from 15-20 million to just 2 million over the last 30 years, to the extent that harvesting their guano – bird droppings - may no longer be economically viable. This guano has been harvested for centuries along the coast of Peru and is an important source of organic fertilizer.
John Croxall, Chair of BirdLife’s Global Seabird Programme explained that “the combination of the immensely productive cold Humboldt Current offshore and the dry climate onshore created conditions whereby Peru’s coastal islands hosted vast colonies of seabirds whose droppings were preserved in layers tens of metres deep.”
Although the guano harvest was partly responsible for reducing seabird numbers, if it stopped now, the limited protection most islands currently enjoy using guano wardens would cease. This would result in widespread disturbance and depredation of the important seabird colonies. The delegates agreed that the breeding sites urgently need more protection.
Successful transfer of the sites to the Peruvian National Protected Areas System would require substantial resources to develop and implement appropriate management plans which have the support of regional and local authorities and communities. Dr Croxall commented that “a major international fundraising initiative will be needed, both to protect the islands until a sustainable longer-term plan is developed as well as to create and underpin this plan”.
The report also highlights the plight of three Globally Threatened, and declining, seabirds for which Peru holds a big portion of the world population:
Vulnerable Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldtii: now fewer than 5,000 birds remain. They are threatened by fisheries bycatch and competition as well as disturbance and illegal capture.
Endangered Peruvian Diving Petrel Pelecanoides garnotii: now restricted to two main sites and threatened by hunting, introduced predators, reduced food availability and fisheries bycatch.
Endangered Peruvian Tern Sterna lorata: now fewer than 1,000 birds at no more than three known breeding sites and threatened there by disturbance and coastal development.
“An urgent priority for the conservation of Peruvian Terns is to protect the largest known breeding site, within the Paracas reserve, from disturbance by tourists and vehicles” said Dr Croxall. He further explained that “for all species effective site protection and management are needed. The workshop identified about 40 sites which need to be properly safeguarded if the great spectacles of Peruvian seabirds are to survive” Currently only two receive statutory protection.
The report also addresses issues arising from: longline fishing and bycatch of seabirds; the concept and practice of identifying marine IBAs; and the management of anchoveta fish stocks to reduce competition between seabirds and the fishing industry. The outcomes of discussions on these topics are presented and the full document can be downloaded below.
The workshop was organised by the Global Seabird Programme of BirdLife International in conjunction with the American Bird Conservancy seabird program.
Posted by Surfbirds at 9:13 PM | Comments (0)
Canada makes giant leaps in site protection
The Canadian Government has announced that it will protect more than 450,000 hectares of Arctic wilderness in Nunavut province, including a globally significant Important Bird Area, by establishing three new National Wildlife Areas: Niginganiq (Isabella Bay), Qaqulluit (Cape Searle) and Akpait (Reid Bay). All three sites are located on the north-east side of Baffin Island in Nunavut.
“This is great news for Canada’s birds, biodiversity and the cause of wilderness preservation”, said Julie Gelfand, president of Nature Canada. “Two of Canada’s Important Bird Areas are found within the Qaqulluit and Akpait NWAs. This means critical breeding and feeding grounds for millions of migratory birds will be preserved.”
Northern Fulmar© Glyn sellors, from the surfbirds galleries
Nature Canada has long argued that National Wildlife Areas are an essential tool for protecting Canada’s migratory birds and endangered species. Habitat for several Arctic marine species stand to be set aside with the Government’s announcement, including the largest Canadian colony of Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis.
“We are extremely pleased to see the Government take the all important first step of officially designating three new wildlife areas”, said Gelfand. “With this announcement, however, should come a commitment to provide the ongoing funding required to properly manage the entire system of National Wildlife Areas in Canada well into the future.”
“Currently nearly 12 million hectares of wilderness are being managed on less than $4 million dollars annually, which is a tiny fraction of what is needed to properly address management concerns and protect wildlife populations”, said Gelfand.
In another recent announcement, Ontario State Premier Dalton McGuinty, pledged to permanently protect 225,000 square kilometres of boreal forest in the northern area of the province. Covering more than 20% of Ontario's total land mass, the area to be protected is roughly the same size as the United Kingdom. McGuinty also announced a sweeping mining reform package that is unprecedented in North America in recognizing the role of First Nations and the need to share resource benefits with local communities.
Scientists around the world have been calling on Canadian governments at all levels to protect the boreal forest, which is under increasing pressure from logging, mining and oil and gas exploration.
The vast boreal region in northern Ontario represents 43% of the province's land mass and has been identified as one of the world's most significant and largest intact forest and wetland ecosystems.
Boreal forest is the world's single-largest terrestrial carbon storehouse. The Canadian boreal forest alone stores 186 billion tons of carbon - equivalent to 27 years of the world's carbon dioxide fossil fuel emissions. It also contains the majority of North America's fresh, unfrozen water and it provides nesting grounds for billions of migratory songbirds and waterfowl; half of North America's birds are dependent on Canada's boreal forest for their survival.
In May, the Quebec government announced that they will protect more than 18,000 square kilometres of forest and wetlands in 23 new conservation areas. Fifteen of these new conservation areas are in the boreal zone.
The move will bring the province closer to its pledge to protect 8% of its natural spaces from development by the end of 2008. The new conservation areas amount to more than one per cent of Quebec's total area and was the biggest area of land protected in more than 100 years.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:42 AM | Comments (0)
September 3, 2008
Iron grip closes on Langebaan lagoon
BirdLife South Africa (BirdLife in South Africa) says time is running out for the Langebaan Lagoon - one of it's most precious Ramsar sites, and part of the West Coast National Park and Saldanha Bay islands Important Bird Area (IBA).
Langebaan Lagoon is the most important wetland for waders in South Africa, regularly accounting for around 10% of South Africa's coastal wader numbers. The lagoon can support more than 37,500 non-passerine waterbirds in summer, of which 34,500 are waders, 93% of which are Palearctic migrants.
Grey Plover © Ian Tew, from the surfbirds galleries
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola, Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea, Sanderling C. alba, Red Knot C. canutus and Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres are the major components of the summer wader assemblage. The coastal strandveld supports several restricted-range and biome-restricted species, including the recently described Long-billed Lark Certhilauda curvirostris.
In winter, the lagoon regularly supports more than 10,500 birds, of which 4,500 are Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus and 4,000 are waders.
BirdLife South Africa reports that this important Western Cape wetland is now plagued by port expansion, sewerage pollution, urban development and tourism infrastructure development, and may lose its conservation status as a important site for South Africa's breeding coastal birds.
The existing iron ore terminal is set to double its capacity for iron ore exports. This planned expansion has been seriously criticized by conservation organisations due to the expected impact on the hydrology, lagoon sediments, birdlife and shoreline of the lagoon. Evidence of the long-term negative impacts of the original port development in the early 1970s is visible on the eastern shores of the lagoon at the Langebaan village.
"The beaches have practically disappeared due to the scouring tidal action that was created by the causeway and jetty when the iron ore terminal was constructed," said Carolyn Ah Shene of BirdLife South Africa's Policy & Advocacy Division. "Tidal water that used to take four days to return to the Atlantic Ocean is now believed to take up to seventeen days to return. The extra dredging that will be required for the double capacity terminal will have devastating impacts on the lagoon sediments and its biota. We believe this will have a serious knock-on effect on bird diversity and numbers at the lagoon."
Posted by Surfbirds at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)
September 2, 2008
Canal diverted to save Jerdon's Courser
The 270-mile Teluga Ganga Canal, from Srisailam in central Andhra Pradesh to Chennai (Madras), is to be diverted around the only remaining habitat of the Critically Endangered Jerdon's Courser Rhinoptilus bitorquatus.
Because of its specialised habitat requirements, Jerdon's Courser is endemic to the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh and extreme southern Madhya Pradesh, India. Believed to number no more than 50 individuals, the bird was thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in Andhra Pradesh 22 years ago. The rediscovery led the Andhra Pradesh government to establish the Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary, to protect the courser's habitat of scrub forest interspersed with bare ground in the gently rolling, rocky foothills of the Eastern Ghats.
When the proposed route of the canal threatened the sanctuary, conservationists including Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS, BirdLife in India) and RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) urged the Supreme Court of India to intervene. The Supreme Court halted the construction work, and now, three years later, a new route has been approved which avoids most of the protected sites.
The Andhra Pradesh Irrigation Department has agreed, in principle, to buy 3,000 acres of scrub forest between the new canal route and the sanctuary. The state's Forest Department will manage that land to protect and enlarge the bird's habitat.
Dr Panchapakesan Jeganathan, a scientist at BNHS, said: "This bird is more threatened than the tiger, and very few people have ever seen it. People thought Jerdon's Courser was a block to progress, but are now benefitting from the canal's realignment because they will receive generous compensation, and the only land they are losing is difficult to farm."
Fuelwood collection and overgrazing, and more recently disturbance from the construction of the canal, may have contributed to the bird's decline, But some livestock grazing and forest management will continue in the sanctuary to maintain the open scrub.
"There is every chance that Jerdon's Courser will survive this development and, with the right management, eventually increase its numbers", Dr Jeganathan continued. "The decision is an example of how governments, communities and conservationists can work together for mutual gain, without putting in jeopardy the future of a threatened species."
Scientists believe other nearby scrub forests could be harbouring Jerdon's coursers, and have been given permission to attach radio transmitters to two birds. They will also use cameras and footprint tracking strips to find out more about the species.
Ian Barber, the RSPB's Asia Officer, said: "It is crucial we find other sites hosting Jerdon's coursers and encourage both politicians and the people living nearby to support that work."
He added: "We are hoping the courser will become the State Bird of Andhra Pradesh to create a sense of pride and stewardship among all of those on whom its future depends."
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:35 AM | Comments (0)
August 1, 2008
Korean delegation highlights proposed canal impacts
Representatives from three Korean organisations have visited BirdLife International in Cambridge to highlight the environmental impacts of the proposed Korean Grand Canal Project.
Buddhist Environmental Solidarity, Eco-Horizon Institute and Birds Korea all gave presentations detailing how this project is predicted to impact on wetland biodiversity and questioning whether it is economically viable, and reported that popular opinion in Korea is against the project.
The proposed first stage would cut across the country from Seoul in the north-west to Pusan in the south-east. This would involve significant amounts of dredging to deepen the shallow rivers for the use of large container ships, thereby destroying much of the current rivers’ biodiversity. It would also affect the hydrology of the rivers, impacting large areas of wetlands.
The first phase of the canal scheme would be 553 km long with 19 locks and 16 dams and would include a 26 km tunnel involving a boat lift. The second phase of the project would involve a second canal to the south-west of the country.
Scaly-sided Merganser © Peter Morris, a rare photo of this
species from the surfbirds galleries
Many species would be affected by the building of the canal including the Endangered Scaly-sided Merganser Mergus squamatus. There would be severe effects on several important sites, including up to 11 Important Bird Areas notably Upo wetland which has been designated as a Ramsar site.
The presentations also revealed that South Korean President Lee Myung-bak had recently suspended the project given the environmental impacts and the concerns of the Korean public. This bold decision is especially timely as the 10th Meeting of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands entitled "Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People" will meet in Changwon, Republic of Korea from October 28 to November 4.
"We are very concerned about the potential impacts of the Grand Canal on threatened birds and other biodiversity", said Dr Mike Rands, Director & Chief Executive of BirdLife International.
Posted by Surfbirds at 1:30 PM | Comments (0)
Bullfinch benefits
For the past 5 years, SPEA (Birdlife in Portugal) and the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK), together with other partners, including the Azores Regional Government, have been implementing a LIFE project to save the Critically Endangered Azores Bullfinch Pyrrhula murina - or Priolo as it is known locally - from extinction. This species is Europe’s rarest songbird, and the second most globally threatened bird species in the whole continent. It occurs only in small pockets scattered in a 6,000 hectare mountain range on São Miguel island in the Azores. The species’s natural habitat, which was already patchily distributed and degraded, is currently severely threatened through invasion by aggressive exotic plant species.
Azores Bullfinch © John Oates, from the surfbirds galleries
The LIFE project has been improving the Azores Bullfinch habitat since 2003, by clearing exotic plants and planting native trees that provide the food that the birds depend on. Project staff have also been monitoring the population, which seems to be responding well to this habitat management – the population appears to be increasing fast, at least in the transects monitored by the LIFE project team.
Last year, conservation scientists decided that there was a need for a complete snapshot of the Azores bullfinch distribution, as well as a more robust measure of the species density, habitat use and numbers. The team in Portugal and in the UK then developed a unique field experiment - a simultaneous survey of all the Azores bullfinches in the complete world range.
The event, partly funded by a generous grant of US$17,000 (€11,000) from the Disney Conservation Fund, attracted much interest and 50 volunteers from the UK, Holland, Brazil, Spain, France, mainland Portugal and the Azores spent several days in June being trained on Azores Bullfinch songs, habitat classification and distance sampling.
Almost 200 one-kilometre squares were checked and 287 point counts took place, with eight minutes spent at each point. A total of 78 Azores Bullfinches were counted, which should result in a final estimate of several hundred birds – an increase on the 200 individuals estimated five years ago. Encouragingly, there were a number of records from outside the core range for the species, suggesting it may occur more widely than previously thought.
SPEA has been appointed the Species Guardian for Azores Bullfinch as part of the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme and Birdwatch magazine recently stepped forward as a Species Champion. This support will enable SPEA to build on this work into the future.
"This is great news for Azores Bullfinch and shows how the work of the Species Guardian is really making a difference", said Jim Lawrence, the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme Development Manager.
If you would like to help Birdwatch support Azores Bullfinch visit their online donation site at www.justgiving.com/priolo
Posted by Surfbirds at 1:23 PM | Comments (0)
Marine reserve on home straight
Wellington’s south coast marine reserve came a step closer recently with its formal announcement. The ‘Taputeranga Marine Reserve’ will be opened officially next month; 17 years after Forest & Bird (BirdLife in New Zealand) first started campaigning for it.
“Having Taputeranga Marine Reserve on Wellington’s doorstep will be a huge bonus,” said Forest & Bird General Manager Mike Britton. “With other marine reserves, as people have seen the growth of fish numbers and other marine life inside and outside the reserve, even opponents have become supporters.”
The 840 hectare reserve is home to Little Penguin Eudyptula minor and Australasian Gannet Morus serrator along with more than 180 species of fish. The Wellington Marine BioBlitz, coordinated by Forest & Bird in October 2007, found more than 600 species inside the proposed reserve in just one month, including at least six species new to science. Common Dolphins, Fur Seals, Orcas (Killer Whales) and whales are also regular visitors to the area.
Killer Whale © Mark Breaks, from the surfbirds galleries
"What has buoyed the members of the Coalition the most has been the overwhelming and consistent support of the Wellington community. Along with the marine life, the community will soon begin to reap the benefits", said Colin Ryder, convener of the Coalition to help designate the reserve. “The creation of the reserve has only been made possible by the support and active involvement of many enthusiastic and committed individuals. It has been a long, complex and sometimes frustrating journey, but the end result will be well worth the effort".
The marine reserve will be open for the public to enjoy. People will be encouraged to visit Taputeranga to dive, swim, kayak and explore the beach. However, fishing or taking any marine life will not be allowed.
The official opening will kick off New Zealand’s Conservation Week on September 7, and will include a marine walk with talks and activities. The week is organised by Forest & Bird, the Department of Conservation and others.
BirdLife International is currently adapting and extending the IBA programme to the oceans. The identification of Marine IBAs will make a vital contribution to global initiatives to gain greater protection and sustainable management of the oceans, including valuable input to the identification of Marine Protected Areas.
Posted by Surfbirds at 1:18 PM | Comments (0)
July 25, 2008
Socotra recognised as World Heritage Site
The Socotra Archipelago was recently added to the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) list of World Heritage Natural Sites. Many international organisations including BirdLife have long campaigned for the Socotra Conservation and Development Programme's (SCDP) submission for this prestigious designation.
In the statement which accompanied the announcement, UNESCO explained that Socotra is of universal importance because of its rich and distinct flora and fauna and high level of endemism.
Socotra Cormorant © Mike Watson, Birdquest, from the surfbirds galleries
"37% of Socotra's 825 plant species, 90% of its reptile species and 95% of its land snail species do not occur anywhere else in the world. The site also supports globally significant populations of land and sea birds (192 bird species, 44 of which breed on the islands while 85 are regular migrants), including a number of threatened species." Globally threatened species include Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis.
Bird species restricted to Socotra include the near-threatened Island Cisticola Cisticola haesitata, Socotra Warbler Incana incana, Socotra Starling Onychognathus frater, Socotra Sunbird Nectarinia balfouri, the Vulnerable Socotra Bunting Emberiza socotrana. Also only found on the island is the Socotra Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus socotranus, part of the complex of species which Yemen recently appointed as its national bird, the Golden-winged Grosbeak. A further 11 subspecies are endemic to the island. Surveys by BirdLife and SCDP have shown that all have healthy populations.
"This is an important step on the way to developing Socotra sustainably, with benefits for both the population of the island and its biodiversity," said Yemen's Environment Minister Abdul-Rahman al-Iryani, who opposes plans by other ministries for damaging road developments on the island. The minister believes that eco-tourism will make an important contribution to Socotra's economy.
This designation is a culmination of the process which began when Socotra was declared a UNESCO Man and Biosphere reserve in 2003.
"Socotra's rich biodiversity and endemism is now recognised at the highest level," said Ibrahim Al-Khader, Head of BirdLife Middle East.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:45 AM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2008
Kazakh IBAs get first natural World Heritage Site status for Central Asia
Two of central Asia’s most important steppe-wetland Important Bird Areas (IBAs), Tengiz-Korgalzhyn and Naurzum have been recognised as being of the same outstanding natural value as sites such as Yellowstone National Park and the Galapagos Islands.
During its 32nd session in Quebec the UNESCO World Heritage Committee announced this week that they were to include the territory of “Saryaka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan” into the list of UNESCO natural World Heritage Sites. The Tengiz-Korgalzhyn and Naurzum nature reserves, the two sites forming Saryaka, are located in the steppe zone of Kazakhstan and are two of the most important IBAs in Central Asia. Both are crucial migration stop-over sites for several million birds each year on the African-Eurasian flyway. They also hold large breeding populations of many globally threatened species.
“This World Heritage Nomination represents a significant step in the safeguarding of these vitally important sites”, Dr Lincoln Fishpool, BirdLife’s Global IBA Coordinator.
Siberian Crane © Roy de Haas, from the surfbirds galleries
Naurzum is particularly important for Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus (Vulnerable), Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis (Endangered) and the Critically Endangered Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus. The Tengiz-Korglazhyn is used by an estimated 2 million waterbirds during migration, and is also a key site for global breeding populations of Dalmatian Pelican Pelacanus crispus (Vulnerable), Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni (Near Threatened) and Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius (Critically Endangered).
Both sites are located in the steppe zone and cover important steppe habitat. This is home not only to birds but for many rare species of mammal such as Saiga Antelope Saiga tatarica and Steppe Marmot Marmota bobak.
“Tengiz Korgalzhyn is under threat because of a need for fresh water for the growing capital city, as well as for waste water dumping. This nomination is a great and important day for conservation in Kazakhstan and will help to protect these globally significant wetlands and threatened steppe habitat”, says Vitaliy Gromov, Director of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), BirdLife’s project partner in Kazakhstan.
The nomination process was initially started by the government of Kazakhstan, NABU (BirdLife in Germany) and WWF International while ACBK together with RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) and also the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan played a crucial role in the phase of the submission of the final nomination dossier.
“NABU is very happy that we can finally see the results of this long process. This will be the first natural Heritage Nomination not only for Kazakhstan but also for Central Asia. These sites have now been given the recognition they deserve”, says Thomas Tennhardt, NABU’s Vice-President.
“We congratulate the government of Kazakhstan on this success. Kazakhstan has taken on major responsibilities to protect these globally important IBAs for the future”, says Dr. Norbert Schaffer, Head of the European Programmes and International Biodiversity Policy Department, RSPB.
IBAs form a worldwide network of sites for the conservation of 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.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:11 AM | Comments (0)
July 4, 2008
Raptor Camp 2008 - September 13 - September 28 2008 - Book now
Make a difference towards the conservation of wild birds. Join Raptor Camp Malta and participate in Illegal Hunting Surveillance and Raptor Migration Monitoring
About BirdLife Malta
BirdLife Malta is the most effective and successful organisation in the fight against illegal hunting of protected species in Malta. BirdLife Malta forms part of the BirdLife International partnership which includes organisations such as RSPB in the UK, NABU (Naturschutzbund) in Germany, VBN (Vogelbescherming Nederland) in Holland, SVS/BirdLife Switzerland, SOF (Sveriges Ornitholgiska Forening) in Sweden, LIPU (Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli) in Italy and many others.
What is Raptor Camp Malta about?
BirdLife Malta, since the late 1990s, has organised a camp during the annual autumn raptor migration period. Both local and international volunteers join this camp with the express aim to curtail illegal hunting activity and collect data on bird migration. This is no bird watching holiday, but a serious conservation effort!
What’s in it for you?
This is an excellent chance to make a genuine contribution to wildlife conservation and experience life in another country. You will be given the opportunity to get involved in serious conservation work and, more importantly, play a part in Malta’s fight to stop the illegal hunting of protected species. You will experience the positive effects of your work immediately on a day to day basis.
Illegal hunting surveillance and raptor migration monitoring are the two main elements forming the camp. These are carried out every day during the morning and afternoon. As well as monitoring raptor migration, participants will also record migration of a range of other species, including herons, bee-eaters, orioles, thrushes and doves.
When not working on the main Raptor Camp objectives, participants are free to choose from a variety of planned and non-planned activities. These include other conservation work and/or birding-related activities and also other leisure activities such as cultural visits to historic sites, trips to the other islands, and swimming and other social activities. In the evening work shops, discussions and films will be organized for the participants.
Illegal hunting surveillance
Volunteers will look out for hunters and watch for illegal hunting activities. Camp attendees will effectively be working as ‘look-out posts’ to inform police of illegal hunting activities and their whereabouts. The volunteers will record data on illegal activities as well as trying to gather evidence through cameras and video cameras. At times, in the absence of police, volunteers’ presence is used to curtail illegal hunting activities through a cautionary approach. Past experience shows that the mere presence of birdwatchers who will report infringements to the police is an active deterrent.
One of the teams in the field monitoring migration
Raptor Migration Monitoring
Volunteers will look out for raptors, identify the species and record basic data. The most common migrants at this time of year are Marsh Harrier, Honey Buzzard, European Hobby and Common Kestrel, while other migrants include Osprey, Montagu’s Harrier, Eleonora’s Falcon and Lesser Kestrel. Data recorded includes species, age and sex (where possible), location, and time of sighting.
Other conservation work
Raptor Camp attendees will also be exposed to a variety of conservation work during their stay at the camp in the form of field work on BirdLife Malta’s project sites. Attendees will work at the camp for 5 days per week and have 1 day per week to work on a conservation site of their choice. (If you want to also take part in other conservation projects please write to nicholas.crockford@birdlifemalta.org two weeks before you arrive in Malta.)
Also, when not working on the main Raptor Camp objectives, participants are free to choose from a variety of planned and non-planned activities. These include both birding-related activities and other leisure activities. Ringers will need to provide a copy of their licence prior to their arrival in order to obtain local ringing licence should they wish to participate in ringing activities while in Malta. In the evening work shops, discussions and films will be organized for the participants.
What skills do you need to join Raptor Camp Malta?
All one really needs is enthusiasm and motivation to fight against illegal hunting of protected species. However, a number of volunteers are required to have raptor identification skills. For those without raptor identification skills, a crash course in raptor ID will be provided at the beginning and in the middle of the camp. All volunteers will be required to participate in chores to look after the camp.
What about accommodation, food and transport while in Malta?
BirdLife Malta organizes group accommodation in a family run apart-hotel in Buskett Forest. This hostel also acts as the base of all activities during the camp. Depending on the number of attendees, a second hotel may also be rented in the north of the island. Accommodation, food, transport during the camp activities will be organized for the group. The attendees will pay for transportation from and to the airport.
How long does the camp last?
The camp starts on the 13th September and lasts for just over 2 weeks ending on the 28th September. Volunteers may come for one or two weeks depending on their availability and the flight schedule.
How much does Raptor Camp cost?
The cost per day for the camp is Euro 20 (£16Stg). This includes:
Shared accommodation in apartments
Continental breakfast (breads, jams, cold cuts, tea and coffee); packed lunch (sandwich and a whole fruit); and Cooked Dinner
All transport during working activities
Extras:
transfer from the airport to the hotel (and from hotel to airport) can be organised for you by the hotel. This roughly costs Euro 25 per trip
a minimal extra cost is charged for persons wishing to attend excursions to cover the cost of transport (excursions are optional)
any other personal costs one spends on leisure
For more information and to participate
Simply send an email to raptorcamp@birdlifemalta.org outlining what information you need.
To download the2007 Raptor Camp report please click here
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:11 AM | Comments (0)
June 19, 2008
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 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)
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)
May 23, 2008
The IUCN Red List 2008: Climate change and continental drift
Climate change has become firmly established as an accelerant to many of the factors which have put one in eight of the world's birds at risk of extinction, today’s publication of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species of birds has found. Long-term drought and sudden extreme weather are putting additional stress on the pockets of habitat that many threatened species depend on. This coupled with extensive and expanding habitat destruction has lead to an increase in the rate of extinction on continents and away from islands, where most historical extinction has occurred.
The 2008 Red List makes grim reading with 1,226 species of bird now threatened, and eight species newly uplisted to Critically Endangered, the highest threat category. Of the 26 species that changed category owing to changes in their population size, rate of decline or range size, 24 were uplisted to a higher level of threat. These include widespread continental species like Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata and Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata, both previously of Least Concern, and now regarded as Near Threatened in a global context.
Mallee Emuwren © Tony Chittenden, image courtesy of Birdlife International
In Australia, Mallee Emuwren Stipiturus mallee is undergoing a very rapid population decline, and its habitat is now so fragmented that a single bushfire could be catastrophic. Years of drought, particularly in the southern and western parts of the species’s range, have affected the health of the vegetation on which it relies and has almost led to the emuwren’s extinction in South Australia where the last significant population comprises 100 birds confined to 100 km².
In the Galápagos Islands, Floreana Mockingbird Nesomimus trifasciatus is confined to two islets off Floreana. Its population has declined from an estimated maximum of 150 individuals in 1966 to fewer than 60, and is now at risk from extreme weather events. As a result it has been uplisted to Critically Endangered.
In Papua New Guinea, deforestation caused by a rising demand for the cultivation of palm oil has led to species such as New Britain Goshawk Accipiter princeps being uplisted to a higher threat category.
However, there is some good news. Two species whose situation has improved are Marquesan Imperial-pigeon Ducula galeata and Little Spotted Kiwi Apteryx owenii, both the beneficiaries of conservation. Actions plans put in place have resulted in the downlisting of both species to lower threat categories.
“This goes to show not only that conservation action works but that it is vital if we are to prevent the extinction of these and other species”, says Dr Stuart Butchart, BirdLife's Global Research and Indicators Coordinator.
“Species are being hit by the double whammy of habitat loss and climate change. As populations become fragmented the effect of climate change can have an even greater impact, leading to an increased risk of local extinctions”, Dr Butchart adds.
Climate change is likely to figure more prominently in future Red List updates. Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus has been uplisted from Endangered to Critically Endangered, owing to accelerating population declines, driven partly by habitat loss and degradation of the tidal flats it depends on in its migratory and wintering ranges. But climate change is expected to have an increasing negative impact on this species and others dependent on tundra for breeding. Modelling indicates that 57% of the Spoon-billed sandpiper's breeding habitat could be lost by 2070.
“This latest update of the IUCN Red List shows that birds are under enormous pressure from climate change,” says Jane Smart, Head of IUCN’s Species Programme. “The IUCN Red List is the global standard when it comes to measuring species loss so we urge governments to take the information contained in it seriously and do their level best to protect the world’s birds.”
To combat the ever increasing threat of extinction to so many species, BirdLife has launched the Preventing Extinctions Programme, the biggest and most wide-ranging bird conservation programme the world has ever seen. The Programme targets all 190 Critically Endangered birds on the 2008 IUCN Red List, by finding ‘Species Champions’ who will fund the work of nominated ‘Species Guardians’ for each bird - organisations and people best placed to carry out the conservation work necessary to prevent the loss of these species.
Posted by Surfbirds at 12:16 PM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2008
Shorebird staging-sites in short supply...
Migratory shorebirds, and the wetland habitats they require to complete their annual journeys, are under threat. These are the stark results of a Biological Conservation paper which reports migratory populations wintering in south-eastern Australia have plummeted by 79% over a 24 year period. “Our grandchildren will not be able to share in the excitement of marvelling at the migratory feats of shorebirds if the current decline continues”, said Dr Graeme Hamilton (CEO Birds Australia, BirdLife in Australia).
The key cause is thought to be loss of suitable feeding habitat at staging sites, where birds refuel along their epic flights. "The wetlands and resting places that they rely on for food are shrinking virtually all the way along their migration path, from Australia through Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and up through Asia into China and Russia", stated Professor Richard Kingsford (Biological Conservation paper co-author).
Bar-tailed Godwit © Arie Ouwerkerk, from the surfbirds galleries
The news comes as nearly two million migratory shorebirds are gathering on the other side of Australia in what has been described as one of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles. The birds are preparing to make an annual flight along the ‘East Asian-Australasian Flyway’ – a route which passes through 22 countries.
Many birds have already set off - one of which is a Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica carrying a small transmitter. The GPS tag allows researchers to follow its route from Broom in north-western Australia as it travels to breeding grounds in Alaska. The bird 'H8' was last sighted on 11 April entering the Yellow Sea in China, having already travelled around 5,000 km.
The Yellow Sea provides rich feeding habitat for more than three million migratory birds annually, and is a key refuelling stop. A total of 36 species pause their journey here to rebuild their energy reserves.
The Yellow Sea is also home to 600 million people in China and South Korea - about 10% of the world’s population. The demands of this growing human population are progressively destroying the tidal feeding grounds, crucial for migratory shorebirds.
The most important shorebird site within the Yellow Sea – Saemangeum – is currently being reclaimed for development, putting millions of migratory birds under threat. The 40,100 ha construction project on the west coast of South Korea involves damming the estuaries of the Mangyeung and Dongjin Rivers with a vast 33-km long seawall.
“Our international agreements relating to shorebird conservation (Ramsar Convention), the Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA), the China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention) do not seem to be working”, warned Dr Hamilton.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:56 AM | Comments (0)
Communities unite to protect White-necked Picathartes
A survey of the Western Area Peninsula Forest (WAPF) in Sierra Leone has discovered two new breeding colonies of the Vulnerable White-necked Picathartes Picathartes gymnocephalus, in addition to the 16 sites already known.
White-necked Picathartes © Jason D Weckstein, Ben D Marks/NCRC, courtesy of Birdlife International. The globally threatened White-necked Picathartes is one of the Upper Guinea Forest's most extraordinary birds .
The survey was part of a one-year project carried out by volunteers from the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL, BirdLife in Sierra Leone), the University of Sierra Leone, and the government’s Forestry Division, with help from local communities.
The project, funded by the Disney World Conservation Fund (DWCF), also established a network of trained wardens in villages surrounding the WAPF reserve.
White-necked Picathartes is a flagship for bird and habitat conservation in Africa. Its extant population is restricted to the fragmented Upper Guinea forest in Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ghana.
In Sierra Leone, numbers are estimated at 1,400, with populations in forest reserves close to the minimum for long-term viability, and numbers are apparently stable or declining very slowly. The survey established that the number of nests in the WAPF colonies had fallen by 20 percent in the ten years from 1997 to 2007.
Much of the project work was carried out by members of one of Africa’s longest established Site Support Groups, PAGE, the Peninsula Action Group for the Environment. “This group commands considerable respect and recognition among the local communities,” said CSSL volunteer Arnold Okoni-Williams. “Through PAGE’s influence and facilitation, the project team was able to plan and execute project activities with minimal difficulty at all village levels.”
A number of awareness-raising seminars and training sessions were held in the villages around the WAPF, which Okoni-Williams says has resulted in a common understanding and a strong commitment to conserve the species and its forest home.
The major achievements of the project include:
A complete database with details of geographic locations and ecological status of the 18 known sites, and population data. This is being used for monitoring and management purposes.
A wardening system around all known Picathartes colonies through a network of trained SSG members in 11 communities around the forest reserve.
Over 1,000 local people are now aware of the status and conservation needs of the White-necked Picathartes through village seminars, posters and brochures, and radio programmes.
Capacity of the project team, PAGE and local communities have been enhanced for sustainable site-level conservation initiatives.
“We are grateful to DWCF for their timely intervention to contribute to saving one the most isolated populations of White-necked Picathartes, for the sake of posterity and overall global biodiversity conservation,” Okoni-Williams added. “We continue to rely on their support on this and other potential conservation programmes in the future.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:49 AM | Comments (0)
Biodiversity conservation works... but more is needed
Conservation efforts have slowed the rate that species are slipping towards extinction, argues a paper published online in Conservation Biology by scientists from BirdLife International and Cambridge University. Direct conservation action has saved 16 bird species from extinction since 1994 and has substantially slowed the rate of population decline for an additional 33 Critically Endangered bird species.
“Conservation action can benefit species that are on the brink of being lost forever”, stated Dr Stuart Butchart (BirdLife's Global Species Programme Coordinator) and co-author of the paper. “However, efforts have been less targeted towards, or less effective for, moderately threatened species”, Butchart added.
Norfolk Island Parakeet © Cathy McBey, courtesy of Birdlife International,
is an example of an extinction averted.
The study focused upon the rate at which bird species of global conservation concern – those listed by BirdLife International on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List - moved between different categories over time, from the lowest threat (Least Concern) through to the most severe (Critically Endangered) and then to Extinct. The research showed that conservation initiatives - such as habitat protection, eradication of invasive species and control of hunting pressure – have effectively slowed, or even reversed, the rate at which some of the most threatened birds have moved towards extinction.
The Endangered Norfolk Island Parakeet Cyanoramphus cookii is an example of an extinction averted. Forest clearance had reduced habitat upon which the birds relied, and competition with other birds and predation by rats had taken a severe toll. By 1994 the global population of this colourful bird was estimated to be 32-37 birds, including just four breeding females, all found on the tiny Norfolk Island (Australia). Nest site protection, a captive breeding programme and control of predators resulted in the population growing to between 200 and 300 individuals within ten years.
The parakeet success story echoes the message of the Conservation Biology paper. Conservation action has succeeded in moving more species from Critically Endangered to Endangered than have become extinct.
Interestingly, an analysis focusing on Australia as a case-study showed that the positive impacts of conservation action were even more marked than at the global scale. “This probably reflects Australia’s well-developed and better-funded conservation infrastructure compared to other parts of the world” commented lead author Dr Mike Brooke (Cambridge University, UK).
The message is clear. When a species is on the edge of extinction, focussed conservation action and adequate funding can make a big difference. However, many species still face imminent extinction. Step forward the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme.
A total of 189 bird species remain classified as Critically Endangered – the highest category of extinction risk. The BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme aims to raise £19 million over the next five years to improve the fortunes of these birds by recruiting BirdLife Species Champions. “We have had a tremendous response already with Species Champions coming forward from all walks of life – everybody can help!”, said Jim Lawrence (BirdLife’s Species Champion Development Manager).
With a global network of national partner organisations to implement the necessary conservation action, underpinned by scientific analysis showing the successes that result, the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme is making real difference.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:41 AM | Comments (0)
April 8, 2008
Short-tailed Albatross chicks moved out of the shadow of the volcano
Ten Short-tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus chicks have been moved by helicopter, from their current stronghold on Torishima Island to the site of a former colony 350 km to the South-east.
The potential for future volcanic events on Torishima is among the most serious threats to this Vulnerable species. Currently, 80-85% of the world population breeds on a highly erodible slope on the outwash plain from the caldera of an active volcano. Monsoons send torrents of ash-laden water down this slope across the colony site. A volcanic eruption could also send lava, ash or poisonous gases through the colony.
adult Short-tailed Albatross © Greg Gillson, from the surfbirds galleries
The translocation site, Mukojima, part of Japan’s Bonin Islands (and administratively part of the Metropolis of Tokyo), is non-volcanic. Short-tailed Albatross bred here at least until the 1920s.
"Establishing viable breeding colonies in other safer locations is paramount to ensuring the survival and recovery of the Short-tailed Albatross", said Judy Jacobs of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which has worked on the translocation of the albatross chicks with staff from the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, and other Japanese and US organisations which together form the Short-tailed Albatross Recovery Team (START).
The ten chicks had reached the "post-guard" state, when parents leave them alone for increasing periods, but were still some three months away from fledging. "The key assumption to this approach is that geographic imprinting on the nesting island occurs after this time; chicks that fledge from a translocation site will return to breed at their fledging site, not their hatching site", Kiyoaki Ozaki explained.
START personnel, who hand-reared Laysan and Black-footed Albatross Phoebastria nigripes chicks in preparation for this project, will spend the next three months feeding the chicks, before they take wing and head out to sea. It will be five years before they reach sexual maturity and are ready to return to breed.
The START team intends to translocate at least ten more chicks annually for the next five years.
Dr Ben Sullivan, BirdLife International global seabird programme coordinator, said: “This welcome initiative to establish new, secure breeding sites will help this rare species. Even though its numbers are increasing even a small amount of mortality due to longlining could hamper its comeback.”
This is a tremendous international conservation effort, with money coming in from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, North Pacific Research Board, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Japan's Ministry of Environment, The Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Asahi Shimbun, and Suntory Fund for Birds Conservation.
In addition, Alaska's commercial fishing industry has played a key role in helping to secure Federal funding for this effort.
Posted by Surfbirds at 2:08 PM | Comments (0)
Save the Great Cormorants of Lake Constance
Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU – BirdLife in Germany) is protesting vehemently against the planned destruction of Lake Constance’s only colony of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo.
“It is hard to believe that Freiburg local authority intends to commit such a destructive act, not only in a National Nature Reserve but especially within a European Special Protected Area (SPA)”, said Dr Andre Baumann (chairman - NABU Baden-Württemberg). “This persecution of Great Cormorants not only contradicts common sense, it also contravenes European bird protection legislation and is morally unjustifiable”. NABU is protesting to the authorities in Freiburg against the planned operations and has started an online petition.
Great Cormorant © Matthew Berriman, from the surfbirds galleries
Freiburg local authorities are planning to use searchlights to drive breeding birds from their nests during April. This will leave eggs to grow cold, and chicks to freeze to death. Experience in Brandenburg with such a massive disturbance has shown that the Great Cormorant offspring have no chance of survival.
The Great Cormorants at Lake Constance will also be shot form the first of August onwards. At that time of the year many of the young chicks will still be dependent upon their parents.
The Great Cormorants of Lake Constance became locally extinct in the 1970s. Strict conservation laws enabled the populations to re-establish. At present, over 90 pairs breed in the Radolfzeller Aachried Nature Reserve, in the western area of Lake Constance.
The colony is a cause of concern for local anglers and commercial fishermen, who have put pressure on the Freiburg local authority to drive the birds away. “The interests of a minority must not be allowed to override the rights of residents and the natural world. The persecution of Great Cormorants will ruin the reputation of the Lake Constance region as a holiday destination for nature lovers,” commented Baumann. Many other bird species like the Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina, Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus and the Black Kite Milvus migrans, may also suffer as a result of the searchlight attack.
Great Cormorants are accused of damage to fish stocks at Lake Constance and subsequent economic losses. These arguments lack evidence. “It has neither been proven that the Great Cormorant seriously endangers fish stocks or significantly affects the fishermen’s economic existence,” noted Manfred Lieser (chairman - NABU Radolfzell-Singen-Stockach). “Despite this, Freiburg local authority plans to erase the colony and thereby accepts the disturbance of other protected bird species in an SPA. That kind of approach calls into question the sense and purpose of legally protected areas”.
NABU is currently considering legal steps in order to stop destruction of the colony. NABU conservationists are protesting to the Freiburg authorities, and have threatened to take legal action if the “searchlight abortion” takes place. NABU has launched a protest petition on its website.
The clock is ticking - the colony is due to be destroyed this April. Please join the NABU petition and send an email to Freiburg City Council. You will find an email prepared in English and German at www.NABU-BW.de.
Posted by Surfbirds at 1:48 PM | Comments (0)
March 27, 2008
Bermuda Petrel returns to Nonsuch Island (Bermuda) after 400 years
Three Endangered Bermuda Petrels (Pterodroma cahow – also known as the Cahow), translocated to Nonsuch Island before fledging in 2005, have returned to the island, and been observed entering artificial nesting burrows constructed for them.
Bermuda Petrel was thought extinct for almost three centuries. In 1951, 18 pairs were rediscovered breeding on sub-optimal rocky islets in Castle Harbour, Bermuda.
The birds began to be moved to Nonsuch, in the entrance to Castle Harbour, after Hurricane Fabian (2003) caused the flooding and partial collapse of the islets, which contained the entire known breeding population.
Bermuda Petrel Pterodroma cahow using artificial burrow on Nonsuch Island
(Bermuda), copyright Jeremy Madeiros, courtesy of Birdlife International
In the last four years, a total of 81 chicks have been translocated, of which 79 have fledged successfully.
The 6.5 hectare (15.5 acre) Nonsuch Island Nature Reserve has potential nesting habitat which is elevated enough to be safe from hurricane flooding and erosion. The present nesting islets total less than one hectare (2.4 acres).
The above clip is from the documentary ‘Bermuda's Treasure Island’ - produced
by Deirdre Brennan and directed by Éamon de Buitléar.
Under the direction of Dr. David Wingate, Bermuda’s former Conservation Officer, Nonsuch Island has undergone ecological restoration over the last 45 years, with the replanting of native and endemic trees and plants. “This has now formed a young closed-canopy forest, similar to what the first settlers on the island in the early 1600s described the bird as nesting under”, said Jeremy Madeiros of Bermuda’s Department of Conservation Services, who has managed the Cahow Recovery Programme since David Wingate’s retirement.
During February this year, Jeremy Madeiros and Andrew Dobson, President of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, visited Nonsuch Island at night to check for evidence of Bermuda Petrel breeding activity.
“One bird landed next to us so we could check its band [ring], weigh and measure it,” said Andrew Dobson. “It then spent at least two hours in the burrow.”
Under the direction of Dr. David Wingate, Bermuda’s former Conservation Officer, Nonsuch Island has undergone ecological restoration over the last 45 years, with the replanting of native and endemic trees and plants. “This has now formed a young closed-canopy forest, similar to what the first settlers on the island in the early 1600s described the bird as nesting under”, said Jeremy Madeiros of Bermuda’s Department of Conservation Services, who has managed the Cahow Recovery Programme since David Wingate’s retirement.
During February this year, Jeremy Madeiros and Andrew Dobson, President of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, visited Nonsuch Island at night to check for evidence of Bermuda Petrel breeding activity.
“One bird landed next to us so we could check its band [ring], weigh and measure it,” said Andrew Dobson. “It then spent at least two hours in the burrow.”
David Wege, BirdLife International’s Caribbean Programme Manager, said: “The Bermuda Petrel has been making a steady recovery from the very brink of extinction, thanks to some truly inspirational conservation management, but the lack of suitable nesting habitat on the Castle Harbour islets will always be a major limiting factor on future population growth. If the translocated birds continue to return to Nonsuch Island and establish a viable breeding population, the long-term future for the species will be significantly improved.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:32 AM | Comments (0)
March 9, 2008
Beck’s Petrel flies back from extinction
A bird that was known only from two records from the 1920s has been discovered in the Pacific after a gap of 79 years. Sightings of the Critically Endangered Beck’s Petrel Pseudobulweria becki published by the British Ornithologists' Club, have finally proven the species is still in existence, and delighted conservationists.
A voyage into the Bismarck Archipelago, north-east of Papua New Guinea, successfully managed to photograph more than 30 of these elusive seabirds. This included sightings of fledged juveniles - suggesting recent breeding. A freshly dead young bird salvaged at sea also becomes only the third specimen in existence. “This re-finding of Beck’s Petrel is exceptional news and congratulations to Hadoram Shirihai [the finder] for his effort and energy in rediscovering this ‘lost’ petrel,” commented Dr Stuart Butchart, BirdLife's Global Species Programme Coordinator.
Beck's Petrel, copyright Hadoram Shirihai
Mr Shirihai first visited the area in 2003, where he observed ‘possible Beck’s Petrels’ – inspiring him to return four years later. Explaining this decision, he commented: “I was eager to know about these amazing petrels… and to understand better how we may conserve them”.
The small tube-nosed seabird was first described by Rollo Beck, an ornithologist and collector of museum specimens. The petrel, which now bears his name, was previously only known from two specimens he collected in 1928 and 1929 during an expedition to the region.
Hopes were raised two years ago in Australia with the sighting of a possible Beck’s Petrel in the Coral Sea off Queensland. This record was not accepted by the Birds Australia Rarities Committee. The recent evidence from the Bismarck Archipelago is published today, and finally confirms the rediscovery of this enigmatic bird.
Confirming the existence of Beck’s Petrel was difficult because it is similar to Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata, few people have looked for it at sea, and it may be nocturnal at the breeding grounds. “There are numerous atolls and islands where it may breed”, said Dr Butchart. “However, the remaining population may be small”.
Beck's Petrel, copyright Hadoram Shirihai
Like other tubenoses, Beck’s Petrel is potentially threatened by introduced cats and rats at its breeding sites, and by logging and forest clearance for oil-palm plantations. Until the breeding sites have been identified the threats remain speculative.
Notes:
Despite the 79-year gap between records, BirdLife International have categorised Beck’s Petrel as Critically Endangered rather than Extinct. "It probably remains extant, because there have been a number of recent records individuals of the very similar Tahiti Petrel Pseudobulweria rostrata in the Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands which may refer to this species," states BirdLife’s Red List species account.
Bismark Archipelago, copyright Birdlife International
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and part of Papua New Guinea. It includes mostly volcanic islands spread into four provinces with an area of 49,700 km² (19,189 sq mi ). Most islands are mountainous, covered by tropical forest (replaced locally by plantations), and surrounded by extensive reefs.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:13 AM | Comments (0)
February 19, 2008
Wintering Spoon-billed Sandpipers found in Myanmar
Sightings of 84 Spoon-billed Sandpipers Eurynorhynchus pygmeus at two coastal wetland sites in Myanmar have cast new light on the winter distribution of this endangered species, and confirmed that these wetlands are of international importance for their biodiversity.
The known global population of Spoon-billed Sandpiper has plunged alarmingly in the last few years to only 200-300 pairs.
Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Thailand © Mark Andrews, from the surfbirds galleries
“The number of breeding pairs in Chukotka, Siberia, fell by 50 percent between 2006 and 2007, and no birds have been seen this year at their traditional wintering sites in Bangladesh”, says Evgeny Syroechkovskiy, Vice President of the Russian Bird Conservation Union (BirdLife in Russia).
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper Recovery Team which found the birds included staff from Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA), BirdLife International’s Partners in Russia and Thailand, and members of ArcCona Consulting (Cambridge, UK and Kiel, Germany) and the Japan Wetlands Action Network (JAWAN).
Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Thailand © Mark Andrews, from the surfbirds galleries
ArcCona’s analysis of satellite images, combined with the experience of previous surveys in India, Bangladesh and Thailand, and with historical records of the species in Myanmar, suggested that potentially suitable habitats existed in the south-western state of Arakan (Rakhine) in the Bay of Bengal, and Martaban (Mottama) Bay near the Thai border.
“The Arakan coast has never been surveyed before, and Martaban Bay only marginally in 2003,” explained Christoph Zöckler of ArcCona Cambridge.
Thirty-five Spoon-billed Sandpipers were counted at one high-tide roost in Arakan, including one juvenile ringed at the breeding ground in Chukotka last summer. The team at Martaban found a total of 48 Spoon-billed Sandpiper, scattered over the huge mudflats of the bay but included a flock of 39 birds.
“Our surveys have covered only a small section of the promising Arakan coast,” Christoph Zöckler added. “Although small-scale reclamation of the mudflats for prawn ponds has been observed, the coastal zones are largely healthy ecosystems, which provide both crucial habitat for tens of thousands of arctic waders, and livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of people.”
Htin Hla of BANCA said he was surprised and delighted by the findings. He said that BANCA will work with the international community to provide a more secure future for the species.
“This is an important piece of the jigsaw,” said Simba Chan, Senior Conservation Manager at BirdLife’s Asia Division. “If present trends continue, Spoon-billed Sandpiper faces extinction in the next few years. If we are to save the species, we need to identify and conserve not only its breeding sites, but its migration stopover sites and wintering grounds too.”
Simba Chan added: “The coast of myanmar is still relatively intact, but most of the tidal area along the eastern asia flyway is under very heavy development pressure. This work provides further illustration of the global importance of Myanmar for biodiversity conservation.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:38 AM | Comments (0)
January 18, 2008
Climate Change study predicts hazy future for Europe's birds
On January 15th, BirdLife International welcomed the publication of ' A Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds'. This Atlas marks a major advance in understanding the potential impacts of climate change on wildlife. It shows that in the course of the 21st century the changing climatic conditions will force most species to move into new areas. For many of them this will prove difficult, and combined with other threats this will increase their risk of extinction in Europe.
The study, based on the use of 'climate envelope modelling', predicts that without vigorous and immediate action against climate change, the potential future range of the average European bird species will shift by nearly 550 km north-east by the end of this century and will reduce in size by a fifth compared to the current range. For some species, the potential future range does not overlap with the current range at all. Arctic and sub-arctic birds and some Iberian species are projected to suffer the greatest potential range loss. Projected changes for some species found only in Europe, or with only small populations elsewhere, suggest that climate change is likely to increase their risk of extinction.
Red Grouse is one of the species that will face problems due to a changing climate
according to the results of the Atlas © Steve Round, from the Surfbirds galleries
The Climatic Atlas not only shows maps of the potential range of each species breeding in Europe at the end of this century, it also provides ways of responding to this challenge. Most of all we need to protect and restore today's wildlife, and secure healthy populations of birds within their current ranges. Central to this will be the strengthening of Natura 2000, the European network of protected areas. The sites must be better protected, managed and connected to provide a 'backbone for biodiversity' and to accommodate the expected changes in distribution. At the same time, the landscape outside these areas must become more 'permeable' to species movements by providing stepping stones of high quality habitat and by more sustainable land-use policies.
Dr. Clairie Papazoglou, Head of the European Division of BirdLife International concluded: "The implementation of the EU Birds and Habitats Directive across the EU is a precondition for helping our wildlife against the impacts of climate change and for supporting Europe's ecosystems on which we depend ourselves if we want to come through the climate crisis."
To read more click here
http://www.birdlife.org/eu/pdfs/Climatic_Atlas.pdf'
Posted by Surfbirds at 1:24 PM | Comments (0)
January 10, 2008
Satellite imagery paints picture of New Britain’s disappearing forest birds
Analyses of satellite images have revealed for the first time the extent of deforestation occurring on the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, indicating that many more bird species are threatened with extinction than previously feared.
An eighth of lowland forest on the island –a stronghold for a number of birds found nowhere else on Earth- disappeared between 1989 and 2000, largely driven by a rapid and uncontrolled expansion in global demand for palm oil.
The findings, published in the journal Biological Conservation mean that the total number of threatened or ‘near threatened’ birds on the island will almost double to 21.
Conservationists are now calling for an effective system to adequately protect the crucial lowland forests that remain on New Britain.
New Britain Kingfisher, New Britain, September 2005 © Ian Merrill ,
from the Surfbirds galleries
In the paper, scientists from the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK), BirdLife International, Conservation International, an independent consultancy and Institute of Environment and Sustainability, EC JRC, analysed ‘before-and-after’ high resolution images of New Britain, showing that approximately 12% of forest cover was lost between 1989 and 2000, including over 20% of forest under 100 m altitude, with substantial areas cleared for commercial oil palm plantations.
“Examining the satellite images of New Britain, we were struck immediately by the clear and extensive loss of forest in many parts of the island”, explained Dr Graeme Buchanan of the RSPB and lead author of the paper. “Deforestation was particular severe in the flat coastal lowlands.”
The authors of the paper then overlaid the maps of forest loss with known habitat preferences of New Britain’s birds. These analyses suggested that extensive habitat loss will have forced significant declines for 21 of the island’s bird species, bringing some to the edge of extinction.
“By comparing this information against the altitudinal ranges of each of the birds that live in New Britain, we estimated the potential effects on species – a ‘before and after’ of disappearing habitat, and of disappearing populations”, said Buchanan.
The novel study represents the first time that that the use of satellite imagery (‘remote-sensing’) has been used to determine the likely threat status of a complete set of birds present in a given region or locality.
The technique has potential for use in other places where field-data are lacking in areas that may be too extensive or too difficult to survey on the ground, as is the case on New Britain.
The island of New Britain is a hotbed of rare and unusual bird species, home to 37 endemic (occurring nowhere else on Earth) or ‘restricted-range’ bird species. Species most affected by deforestation on the island are those which cannot tolerate degraded or non-forest habitats, and that only occur in the lowlands. [1]
The paper reports that hardest hit is the strikingly iridescent Bismarck Kingfisher Alcedo websteri –a specialist of lowland forest streams- which lost a fifth of its habitat during the ten year period.
Other birds to suffer include the Green-fronted Hanging-parrot Loriculus tener, which lost 18% of its habitat in the same period.
Southeast Asia’s largely unregulated and expanding palm oil industry –fuelled by increasing global demand- is highlighted as the main factor behind the extensive lowland forest loss on New Britain.
“The findings show that New Britain’s endemic birds are being driven to extinction by our thirst for palm oil, which is widely used in foodstuffs and industry”, said Dr Stuart Butchart, BirdLife’s Global Species Programme Coordinator and co-author of the paper. “After wiping out the lowland forests of Malaysia and Indonesia, companies are now moving eastwards, to New Guinea and Melanesia, where they now threaten a whole new suite of species.”
Based on further analysis of the satellite images, an estimated 320 km2 (11%) of the land cleared had already been converted to plantation, mainly for palm oil. Much of the remainder is likely to be planted up in the next few years: “it is likely that oil palm plantations will continue to increase rapidly: by 2001, oil palm estates at just two sites totalled c.295 km2 with one company planning to expand its plantations on New Britain to 800 km2 by 2014”, the authors assert.
The paper recommends potential areas to designate as protected areas, concluding “there is clearly a pressing need to survey these areas to confirm that they are refuges for New Britain’s endemic fauna, and to ensure their immediate and effective protection”.
Notes:
[1] New Britain is crescent-shaped, approximately 600 km (370 miles) along its southeastern coastline, and from 30 to 110 km (20-70 miles) wide, not including a small central peninsula. The island is the 38th largest in the world, with an area of 37,800 km² (14,600 mile²), according to Wikipedia.
The island of New Britain, east of New Guinea, is of very high global conservation importance, and home to 37 endemic or restricted-range bird species.
The island forms part of a high priority Endemic Bird Area (EBA) with New Ireland and satellites which together support 38 endemic bird species. For a factsheet on New Britain with information on habitat types and species present, visit BirdLife’s Data Zone
Posted by Surfbirds at 1:40 PM | Comments (0)
December 14, 2007
Rainforest park sets the bar for Bali talks
A huge rainforest in one of Africa's poorest countries should today win indefinite government protection and is being heralded as one of the first examples of forest conservation to cut carbon emissions.
President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone, is today expected to back plans to make the 75,000-hectare Gola Forest his country's second national park protecting more than 50 mammal species including Leopards, Chimps and Forest Elephants, 2,000 different plants and 274 bird species of which 14 are close to extinction.
The area, close to the Liberian border, will become the flagship site in a new national park network with local communities paid annually to replace royalties linked to logging and diamond mining in the forest.
White-necked Picathartes: an inhabitant of Gola forest, image kindly supplied by Birdlife International
The project is being funded by the European Commission, the French government, the RSPB and US-based Conservation International.
Alistair Gammell, International Director for the RSPB said: "In Sumatra, we are helping to rehabilitate the forest because most of it has been logged at some stage. Gola is different because much more of the area is primary rainforest and other areas have nog been logged for more than 30 years. Without this project, the forest would have been destroyed within ten years because Sierra Leone needs funds for its development."
The Rufous Fishing Owl Scotopelia ussheri, the Green-tailed Bristlebill Bleda eximia and the Gola Malimbe Malimbus ballmanni are amongst bird species at risk in Gola. But best known in the forest is the White-necked Picathartes Picathartes gymnocephalus whose appearance and nesting habits are bizarre.
The Picathartes nests under the forest's towering rocks. Gola is thought to be the major stronghold for the bird, which is highly respected by villagers.
President Koroma is planning to establish six more national parks in Sierra Leone to develop tourism as the country recovers from the civil war of the 1990s.
Graham Wynne, Chief Executive of the RSPB, said: "There are few places in the world where you will find such diversity. Gola is a magical place and it is worth saving simply because it is there."
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:52 AM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2007
Thousands of birds die in Black Sea Oil spill
Thousands of birds and fish have been killed as oil spills from a stricken tanker in the northern Black Sea.
At least 30,000 birds have died, and thousands more are covered in oil and face death in the coming days. The main species reported to be affected are Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, Common Coot Fulica atra, Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus and Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis.
Black-necked Grebe © Rich Andrews, from the surfbirds galleries
So far, 50km of Russian coastline is affected by the oil spills. Two Important Bird Areas (IBAs), nearby, the Kiziltash Bay and the Tamanski and Dinskiy Bays, are under threat. Both are designated primarily for migrating and wintering birds. Up to 50,000 migratory waterfowl and other birds are known to use the sites during migration. Among these are Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus, listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla.
On Saturday night November 10th, a heavy storm brought severe damage to vessels stuck in the Kerch Strait between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
One vessel broke in two, leaking at least 2,000 tonnes of oil in the Black Sea. At least three more vessels that sank carried potentially hazardous sulphur. Twelve ships in total were reported to have been affected by the storms, killing at least six sailors.
Due to the weather circumstances which are still difficult at the moment, information about the current situation in the area is sparse. BirdLife’s network representatives are therefore relying on local sources to receive updates. Weather services have announced more storms for tonight which make it impossible to undertake large-scale rescue operations at sea or to start cleaning oil-covered birds.
Posted by Surfbirds at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)
World Cup airport will look out for Swallows
As five million Barn Swallows migrate from across Europe to roost in South Africa’s Mt Moreland Reedland, they will be greeted by more than just birdwatchers. In future air traffic controllers at La Mercy Airport will be among those watching the birds come in, if necessary informing pilots of the swallow flocks when coming into land so that collisions can be avoided.
The plan to protect the birds will be announced on November 11th at a special ceremony at the reedbed, attended by BirdLife South Africa.
The decision – one of a number of key mitigation actions announced – was made in response to global outcry last November, when BirdLife outlined its concern about the expansion of La Mercy Airport, in preparation for South Africa’s hosting of World Cup 2010.
Swallow © Steve Nuttall, from the surfbirds galleries
The threat that planes would pose to the adjacent roost – arguably Africa’s largest – was put across by conservationists and BirdLife Partners throughout Europe, most notably by the RSPB, BirdLife’s Partner in the UK, a country in which a number of the Barn Swallows breed.
The campaign was led by BirdLife South Africa: “This has been a fantastic result, and we’re delighted to report on this outcome after a year of negotiations and meetings. The support of so many people – via letters and petitions – has played an important part.” said Neil Smith, Conservation Manager at BirdLife South Africa.
“Since our campaign started, the Airports Company of South Africa [the organisation behind La Mercy] has really come on board, quickly realising the importance of this site as a reedbed of international significance.”
Following BirdLife’s complaint, consultants were brought in to examine the roosting and flocking behaviour of the swallows, using advanced radar imagery. Their results confirmed that constant monitoring of the swallow movements during take-off and landing of aircraft would be required.
The Airports Company of South Africa has now listed a number of measures that it will take to ensure that the roost and the airport can coexist. These include employing environmental management staff to make sure that suitable management of the reedbed continues.
Perhaps most significantly, the same advanced radar technology used to study the movement of the swallows will also be installed in the airport control tower. This will mean that planes can take the option of circling or approaching from another angle when large flocks of swallows form over the reedbed site in the late evening.
“Losing such a valuable site could have affected breeding swallow populations across Europe”, said Dr Ian Burfield, Birdlife’s European Research and Database Manager. “Conserving migratory birds is about more than ensuring one site is protected or well managed. It takes global effort: at breeding sites, at stopover sites during migration, and at important non-breeding sites like this, where large numbers of birds roost.”
The Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica undertakes one of the world’s most remarkable migrations, with many individuals flying thousands of miles in spring to breed in Europe and then repeating the feat in the autumn, to spend the boreal winter in southern Africa. Numbers of Barn Swallows have declined across many European countries, largely as a result of agricultural intensification and simplification.
Posted by Surfbirds at 10:09 PM | Comments (0)
November 4, 2007
Judgement day for Africa’s flamingos
The enormous clouds of pink flamingos that grace the skies of East Africa and ring the edges of some of its most scenic lakes with a bright band of living colour may soon be a thing of the past if the path is cleared on November 2nd 2007 for a major industrial development on a remote and isolated lake in Africa’s Great Rift Valley.
Officials in Tanzania are to assess plans for a soda ash plant on Lake Natron, the world's single most important breeding site for the Near Threatened Lesser Flamingo, where more than a million of these beautiful birds nest.
Lesser Flamingo © Tar János, from the surfbirds galleries
They will advise Environment Minister Mark Mwandosya on whether to allow Lake Natron Resources, jointly owned by the Tanzanian Government and the Indian company TATA Chemicals, to pump more than 100,000 litres of freshwater and 550,000 litres of brine (saltwater) from the area every hour, for the production of soda ash, a material used in glass and dye production.
The lake is the only reliable breeding site in East Africa for the Lesser Flamingo. All the 1.5 - 2.5 million Lesser Flamingos alive in East Africa today were probably hatched at Lake Natron - Africa's "flamingo factory".
A coal-fired power station, road and rail links and housing for 1,200 construction workers would be built at the site. The development would seriously harm tourism in three countries, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, and could cause Lake Natron’s international wetland designation to be withdrawn.
The leaders of conservation groups in 23 African countries have signed a petition urging the Tanzanian government to turn down the proposal and their campaign has been backed by naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.
Sir David said: “Lake Natron’s vast flocks of shimmering pink flamingos are one of the world’s greatest wildlife attractions. These spectacular birds deserve the strongest protection we can offer them.
“Any threat to their future would not only be an ecological disaster, it would deal a huge blow to tourism in East Africa which helps ensure the survival of the region’s spectacular wildlife and wild places.”
As well, there are questions why International protocols such as Ramsar, Convention on Migratory Species, and closer home, the Protocol on Environment of the East African Community, were not considered during the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process.
The ESIA report states that “it must be recognised that the limited knowledge available on the functioning of the Lake Natron ecosystem as it relates to the Lesser Flamingo strongly suggests that the project will entail a significant degree of risk for this species in the longer term that is not capable of direct mitigation”. Other serious impacts the report cites as significant are "the increase of HIV/AIDS in existing resident population and increased pressure on the grazing land of the Masai community".
Proponents of the scheme cite its economic benefits in terms of profit, tax revenues and jobs. However, the report indicates that "no casual labour recruitment of any sort except from major towns outside the Ramsar site" - including during construction phase. They also ignore the potential negative effects on the environment and tourism, one of the major sources of foreign exchange in both Tanzania and Kenya. The tourist industry in Tanzania employs over 200,000 people directly, and provides many more jobs indirectly.
Ato Mengistu Wondafrash, of BirdLife International’s Africa Partnership, said: “Lake Natron secures a way of life for nomadic communities and the flamingos produce a thriving tourist economy. To jeopardize Africa's "flamingo factory" for an ill-considered development would be economic, and moral, suicide.”
Dr Hazell Shokellu Thompson, Head of BirdLife’s Africa Division, said: “Africa is making great strides towards conserving its immense biodiversity and Tanzania must think clearly of what this decision on Lake Natron will say of its environmental credentials.
“This is a clear opportunity for the Tanzanian government to continue showing moral and environmental responsibility in Africa by taking a decision not to proceed with the soda ash development.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:25 PM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2007
Vulture-killing drug now on sale in Africa
BirdLife's Council for the African Partnership has warned African BirdLife Partners that they need to be on high alert, following the discovery of the drug Diclofenac on sale at a veterinary practice in Tanzania. A survey by WCST (WildLife Conservation Society in Tanzania, BirdLife in Tanzania) is underway to establish the full facts.
Diclofenac, a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID), has been found to cause gout and renal failure in vultures of the Gyps genus. In India, where Diclofenac was in widespread veterinary use, three Gyps species, formerly of Least Concern, have been pushed to Critically Endangered status, losing over 99 percent of their populations in just over a decade.
Griffon Vulture, at risk from Declofenac poisening © Slawomir Dabrowski
“This development could be absolutely catastrophic for vultures in Africa if it is not addressed immediately, to prevent this avian killer from becoming an established veterinary drug,” said Jane Gaithuma of the BirdLife Africa secretariat. “Research by BirdLife Partners has established that there are safe alternative drugs available, such as Meloxicam, so there is actually no need for Diclofenac at all.”
Without action by governments and veterinary associations to ban the use of Diclofenac for veterinary purposes, the drug is likely to be very difficult to control. Since the patent for the drug expired, it has been produced in generic form by hundreds of manufacturers worldwide, and is sold under dozens of different names. The manufacturer of the brand found in Tanzania exports the drug for veterinary use to 15 African countries spread across the continent.
Governments in the Indian subcontinent have belatedly taken action. At a meeting of the National Wildlife Board in March 2005, the Government of India announced that it intended to phase out the veterinary use of Diclofenac within six months. In 2006, the governments of India, Pakistan and Nepal all banned manufacture of Diclofenac, sending a very clear signal, and it is hoped that full retail bans will soon follow. But numbers are already so low that the future of White-rumped (Gyps bengalensis), Indian (Gyps indicus) and Slender-billed Vultures (Gyps tenuirostris) now depends on captive breeding programmes. Gyps vultures take several years to reach sexual maturity, and a pair produces only one or two young every one or two years, so it will take decades before any of these species is likely to come off the Critical list.
Africa's vultures already face terrible pressures, and several species formerly of Least Concern were added to the 2007 Red List of threatened species. Veterinary use of Diclofenac in Africa could quickly put the Cape vulture Gyps coprotheres (VU) in even greater danger of extinction, and further threaten Rueppell's Griffon Vulture Gyps rueppellii (NT), White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus (NT) and Griffon vulture Gyps fulvus (LC). Gyps vultures are very wide ranging, and exposure to Diclofenac in a single carcass in any one of their range states could prove fatal to whole populations, threatening the more common species as well as the already rare ones. NSAID toxicity has been reported for raptors, storks, cranes and owls, suggesting that the potential adverse conservation impact of NSAIDs may extend beyond Gyps vultures, and could include Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus (EN), White-headed vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis (VU) and Lappet-faced vulture Torgos tracheliotus (VU).
In contrast, there are no reported mortalities for Meloxicam, which has been administered to over 700 birds from 60 species, with safety tests carried out.
BirdLife Partners are called upon to work with relevant authorities and other conservationists to assess whether Diclofenac is in veterinary use in their country, and where this is the case to stop/ban it. In countries where Diclofenac is not yet in veterinary use, it will be important to work with government authorities and civil society to alert people of its danger and to ensure it becomes pre-emptively banned.
All BirdLife supporters in Africa can play a part, by checking their local veterinary outlets to see if the drug is on sale, and by contacting the government and other authorities to call for a total ban.
Posted by Surfbirds at 9:07 PM | Comments (0)
October 29, 2007
BirdLife Partners applaud Uganda’s decision to drop Mabira Forest give-away
Conservationists across the BirdLife Partnership are welcoming news that the Ugandan government has dropped its plan to give away a third of Mabira Forest Reserve to provide land for sugarcane plantations.
The announcement came on Friday 19 October 2007, through a statement from the Uganda Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
Blue-throated Roller, one of 300 species in Mabira Forest,
July 2007 © Nik Borrow, from the surfbirds galleries
Mabira Forest Reserve (at over 30,000 hectares) is globally recognised by BirdLife as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The forest contains over 12% of plant species and 30% of bird species found in Uganda. The announcement follows months of intensive campaigning by a number of organisations, most notably NatureUganda (BirdLife in Uganda) with support from BirdLife’s Africa Division and by BirdLife Partners from a number of countries and territories.
Achilles Byaruhanga, NatureUganda’s Executive Officer expressed delight: “I am excited that our effort to advocate for a better option for Mabira Forest Reserve has been recognised and the fact accepted that the forest is a critical resource for Uganda and globally. The achievement is also for the Ugandan people who stood firm and opposed what was a wrong policy decision"
NatureUganda’s recent economic valuation of Mabira Forest Reserve is thought to have played an enormous part in the decision. The report showed clearly that the economic value of the forest if conserved, would surpass the anticipated economic value from sugarcane growing in future.
Moreover, the report indicated clearly that alternative land for sugarcane growing is available elsewhere in Uganda, where there may be enhanced benefit to local communities and local economies.
The list of ‘ecosystem services’ –livelihoods, clean water, food- provided by Mabira Forest to over 120,000 adjacent community members was another important finding in the report handed to the government by NatureUganda. The value of tourism also prominently featured.
The BirdLife International Partnership through its national partner, NatureUganda, will continue to work with the Government of Uganda in the conservation of its national heritage. “We applaud the government of Uganda for making a bold decision in protecting its forest resources despite the intentions of the sugar company,” said Ato Mengistu Wondafrash, the chairperson of Birdlife’s Africa Partnership (2006-2007).
The announcement made by the Ugandan government on Friday coincided with BirdLife’s Council for the Africa Partnership (CAP) meeting in Nairobi, where 23 African nations met and signed a petition opposing a proposed chemical plant on the shores of Tanzania’s Lake Natron, which threatens 75% of the world’s Lesser Flamingo.
“We hope the interesting parallels between Mabira and Lake Natron are noted by the Tanzanian government – both support key species, both support a booming tourist trade and both provide crucial ecosystem services for associated communities,” said Dr Hazell Shokellu Thompson, Head of BirdLife's Africa Division.
Posted by Surfbirds at 2:41 PM | Comments (0)
October 23, 2007
Outrage as poaching discovered on Greece's Lesvos island
One of the most outrageous poaching incidents in Greece has come to light on the island of Lesvos. A total of 32 Corncrake Crex crex were found, having been attracted by means of illegal equipment and killed by poachers.
The Corncrake is a globally threatened species, protected by the European Birds Directive. There are currently many projects targeting its conservation in countries in the North and West of Europe, nearly all of them involving BirdLife Partners.
Corncrake, from the surfbirds galleries © Steven Round
Game wardens on the island in the municipality of Ayiasos were first to discover the incident on September 22th 2007. The finding was later confirmed by the President of the Hunting Association of Archipelagos.
Mr. Kostas Papakonstantinou, member of the Hellenic Ornithological Society (BirdLife in Greece) states that: "most worrying is that, based on many testimonies that were made public recently, this incident is just the tip of the iceberg and Corncrake poaching in central and southern Lesvos is a very frequent phenomenon."
Charges have been pressed against the three poachers by the Forest Department of Lesvos and their licences, guns and the rare birds, have all been confiscated.
The Hellenic Ornithological Society praised the game wardens for discovering the incident and stressed the need to combine stronger enforcement actions with better education programmes for hunters on the issue of species identification of birds.
The Hellenic Ornithological Society is following the situation closely, stressing that this incident could serve as a good example of the effectiveness of proper law enforcement in future.
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:16 PM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2007
Africa’s leading conservationists meet as chemical plant threatens three-quarters of world’s Lesser Flamingo
Leading conservationists from 23 African nations have met recently to sign a petition opposing the proposed chemical plant on the shores of Tanzania’s Lake Natron, which threatens 75% of the world’s Lesser Flamingo.
The petition was signed by delegates of BirdLife’s Council for the Africa Partnership (CAP) in Nairobi and follows months of speculation and international outcry over the proposed salt ash development on Tanzania’s border with Kenya.
Lesser Flamingo © John Dempsey
More than half a million pairs of Lesser Flamingos may nest at Lake Natron. The lake is the only reliable breeding site for the species' East African population – more than 75 per cent of the world’s total.
Lake Natron's isolation and vast salt flats provide crucial safety from predators, while its alkaline waters, rich in cyanobacteria, and lakeside springs supply food and freshwater for parents and chicks. The lake supports the huge concentrations of Lesser Flamingos that feed and roost on other lakes up and down the Rift Valley, hailed as “the greatest ornithological spectacle in the world” and supporting a thriving tourist economy.
The proposed salt ash plant would pump 530 cubic metres of brine per hour and produce 0.5 million tons of sodium carbonate a year. The large-scale development would also include a sizable residential complex.
Delegates attending the BirdLife Council Meeting fear that the entire flamingo population could be lost if the development goes ahead, citing a number of reasons, including: likely changes in the chemical composition of the water (affecting the cyanobacteria on which the flamingos depend); disruption of nest sites; and expansion of surrounding infrastructure, a factor which could bring in new predators, particularly Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumeniferus – a species linked to mass nest desertions in breeding Greater Flamingo, a similar species.
BirdLife, the world’s largest alliance of conservation organisations, is fully opposed to the plans, first made public in an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) put forward by consultants for Lake Natron Resources Limited (a joint venture of the Tanzanian Government and the Indian company Tata Chemicals) in mid-July 2007.
Lake Natron Resources Limited have now submitted a revised version of their ESIA to Tanzania’s National Environment Management Council, who will in turn make recommendations to Tanzania’s Minister of State in the Vice-Presidents Office for Environment. It is here the decision will ultimately rest.
"We strongly urge the government to look at its natural resources – to look at the sustainable resource Lake Natron currently provides. The lake secures a way of life for nomadic communities, and the flamingos produce a thriving tourist economy. To jeopardize this for an ill-considered development would be economic, and moral, suicide,” said Mengistu Wondafrash, Chairman of the Council of the African Partnership (CAP).
The sight of Lesser Flamingo are a big pull for tourists to the area: worth up to US$12 million say the East African Consultative Group, opposing the development.
“If we can’t work to protect habitat for one of Africa’s most charismatic ‘postcard’ species, what hope is there for other species?” he added.
Much has been made of the Tanzanian government’s role in the final decision: “As a continent, Africa is making great strides towards conserving its immense biodiversity,” said the Head of BirdLife’s Africa Division, Dr Hazell Shokellu Thompson. “Tanzania must think clearly of what this decision on Lake Natron says of its environmental credentials, and to the other twenty-four nations which are represented here at this meeting today.”
"This is a clear opportunity for the Tanzanian government to continue showing moral and environmental responsibility in Africa by taking a decision not to proceed with the Soda Ash development."
The petition, signed by conservationists from 23 African nations, will now be sent to the Tanzanian government and Tata Chemicals.
Posted by Surfbirds at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2007
Spoon-billed Sandpiper facing extinction
Populations of one of the world’s strangest birds have crashed over the last decade, and surveys this summer of its breeding grounds in the remote Russian province of Chukotka suggest that the situation is now critical. The charismatic, and rather aptly named, Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus, is now worryingly close to becoming extinct. With only 200-300 pairs left, conservationists are calling for urgent help to tackle the decline.
“We’ve seen a 70% drop in the number of breeding pairs at some sites over the last couple of years. If this decline continues, these amazing birds won’t be around for much longer,” says Evgeny Syroechkovskiy, Vice President of the Russian Bird Conservation Union (BirdLife in Russia).
Spoon-billed Sandpiper © Trevor Feltham
The reasons for these losses are complex, involving changes to habitat during migration and loss of breeding areas. What is clear is that nest predation by foxes and disturbance by people and dogs could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the few birds left.
“Action to safeguard the remaining breeding pairs needs to be taken now for there to be any chance of saving them. We are planning to put wardens in place at these critical sites. Once they are protected and the birds are successfully fledging young, we can get on with the task of trying to save areas that they use whilst on migration,” Evgeny adds.
Spoon-billed Sandpipers’ spoon-shaped bill is still something of a mystery, the exact use for which is still unknown. They breed during June–July in a small strip of coastal Arctic tundra in Chukotka, NE Russia. They then migrate thousands of kilometres to winter along coasts in South and South-East Asia. Spoon-billed Sandpipers are one of several species to depend on the rich tidal coasts of the Yellow Sea in east Asia, where they stop to refuel on their way to and from their breeding grounds.
“Coastal reclamation in South Korea is currently destroying over 40,000 ha of habitat; coastal habitats are being converted into saltpans and shrimp farms in Bangladesh and Chinese coasts ha