BirdLife Works for Sustainability...
 Andy Hay/RSPB Images
The Corncrake Crex crex is declining steadily due to the intensification of modern agriculture.
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Birds provide an excellent vehicle for conveying conservation messages because they have a powerful place in our cultures, as symbols of freedom and wisdom as well as spirituality. The health of bird populations are indicative of the general state of the environment, and can be used to illustrate humankind's impact on the natural world. Birds are excellent environmental indicators, occupying every habitat and every region of the world. They are the planet's best-documented organisms, and patterns of their distribution are often reflected in other animal and plant groups.
Identifying priorities for conservation
For more than 20 years, BirdLife has published information on globally threatened birds in Red Data Books. BirdLife is the official Listing Authority for birds for the World Conservation Union's Red List and works closely with a worldwide network of experts. The wealth of information generated by this programme lays the foundations for our work.
In 2000, BirdLife published Threatened Birds of the World. This book documents, illustrates and maps the distribution of the 1,186 species currently known to be threatened with extinction, and identifies the actions needed for each species's survival.
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"This book is an inspiration. It will make people get out and fight to save the world's endangered birds and their habitats." —New Scientist
BirdLife's science team analyses data on the world's rarest birds and the places they live. We analyse trends in bird populations and monitor changes to determine species' conservation status. The information is shared between the people who collect, collate and verify it, and those who analyse it to set targets to influence policy and decision-making – moving from science to conservation action.
This publication of Threatened Birds of the World received major support from British Birdwatching Fair and Ministry of the Envirnoment.