Death of renowned conservationist

10-08-2004

Staff at BirdLife are mourning the death of former colleague Colin Bibby, one of the UK's most dedicated ornithologists and conservationists, who has passed away following a long illness.

Colin dedicated his life to extending the boundaries of our understanding of birds. He worked for both the RSPB and BirdLife International. In June this year he was awarded the prestigious RSPB medal in recognition of his contribution to ornithology.

Born in 1948, Colin started working for the RSPB in 1971, specialising in research projects on Dartford Warblers, Merlins and various UK woodland birds. During this time, Colin also helped in the development of the UK Beached Bird Survey – a nationwide programme in which volunteers systematically searched coastlines to monitor seabird mortality and to detect any large-scale catastrophes.

In 1986, Colin became the RSPB's Head of Conservation Science, a time which marked the beginning of expansion in RSPB science, and an increase in the scientific rigour of its operations. Among other things, he oversaw the first production of the UK Red Data Book – the publication which is at the heart of informing conservationists about the status of bird populations and helping to decide priorities for action. He instigated the production of Action Plans for rare species, and gradually helped to ensure that the priority setting and general decision-making of the Society were placed on a firmer scientific basis.

"Colin was truly a remarkable person. He had a life-long interest in biology, and applied scientific thinking and rigour to a vast array of situations, whether the study of a conservation problem or the management of an organisation. He will be very sadly missed." —Mike Rands, Director, BirdLife International

In 1991, Colin moved to BirdLife International as Director of Science and Policy. He had a major influence on Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs), overseeing the publication of the first book on the subject. He was also responsible for influential work on migratory birds at staging areas – the places where birds feed and re-fuel for the next stage of their journeys. There are now many researchers working on what has become known as 'stopover ecology' around the world.

Colin left BirdLife in 2001 and devoted his professional time to helping other conservation organisations and international companies to develop their strategic thinking for biodiversity conservation. He leaves a wife, Ruth, and three sons.

Colin Bibby, ornithologist and conservationist – b. 20 November 1948; d. 7 August 2004