Tony Pym/Ornitholidays Henderson Petrel Pterodroma atrata is a rare seabird known to breed only on Henderson Island, part of the Pitcairn Islands (a UK Overseas Territory) Zoom In

IBA Directory of UK’s Overseas Territories launched

11-10-2006

A new directory of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in the United Kingdom’s 14 Overseas Territories highlights their massive global biological importance.

The UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) hold 34 bird species globally threatened with extinction and a further 13 species are Near-Threatened. Of these, 22 are confined to the UKOTs and a further 15 have vital breeding grounds in them.

Threatened species include the Critically Endangered Montserrat Oriole Icterus oberi, which is confined to the Caribbean island and lost more than half of its range following a devastating volcanic eruption in 1997. Seven albatross and five petrel species with important nesting populations in the Territories are affected by the impacts of longline fishing in the Southern Ocean, particularly in the south Atlantic. Invasive plants and animals have had a devastating impact on native wildlife in the Territories too.

Graham Wynne, Chief Executive of the RSPB, commented: “These crown jewels for conservation hold more species of bird under the threat of extinction than the whole of Europe, and the threats to them are very real. Several birds found only in UK Overseas Territories have become extinct in recent centuries, putting the UK in the list of the world’s top five countries for bird extinctions.”

The Directory of Important Bird Areas in the UK's Overseas Territories was authored by the RSPB's Sarah Sanders Zoom In

“These crown jewels for conservation hold more species of bird under the threat of extinction than the whole of Europe,” —Graham Wynne, RSPB Chief Executive

According to Barry Gardiner, UK Minister for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs: “The UK’s Overseas Territories are rich in wildlife and home to many endemic species. Their total land area is less than 10 percent of the British Isles, yet their importance in biological diversity is out of all proportion to their small size. This is underlined by the large number of globally-significant bird species in the UK overseas territories. However, these bird populations face increasing pressure from invasive alien species, habitat destruction, longline fishing and global climate change.”

“The launch of this report was timely, as Important Bird Areas are the theme of this year's World Bird Festival,” —Ade Long, Head of Communications, BirdLife International

The report, Important Bird Areas in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories; priority sites for conservation, is published by the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) and identifies 78 IBAs in the Territories, which stretch from Pitcairn to Bermuda, and from Gibraltar to British Antarctic Territory. Fewer than half the IBAs have official protection. The report was launched in Jersey at a conference organised by the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum, with the support of the Overseas Territories Environment Programme.