Colin Bibby was the quintessential bird conservation biologist. Zoom In

Bird Conservation International celebrates Colin Bibby

29-09-2008

A special supplement published with Bird Conservation International Vol 18 No 3 (September 2008) is dedicated to Colin Bibby, who died in 2004.

As the former Director of Science and Policy at BirdLife International, and before that, Head of Conservation Science at the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK), Colin Bibby became, in the words of the keynote paper The science of bird conservation, “the quintessential bird conservation biologist”.

In his preface to the special issue, BirdLife’s Chief Executive Mike Rands writes, “Colin Bibby was a truly remarkable man. He had a life-long interest in almost all things biological, and applied scientific thinking and rigour to a vast array of situations, be they the study of a particular conservation problem, or matters concerning the management of an organisation.”

Colin Bibby’s contribution to the development of BirdLife International and the BirdLife Partnership included helping to shape the organisation’s first Strategy and Regional Programmes, always promoting science-based advocacy and field action. He also had a major influence on the development of the concept of Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs), overseeing the publication of the first book on the subject.

“Colin Bibby was a truly remarkable man” —Mike Rands, BirdLife’s Chief Executive

Mike Rands adds: “When Colin joined the staff of the International Council for Bird Preservation (BirdLife International’s predecessor), he set about applying his skills and experience, honed in the UK, to a global conservation network, dynamically promoting research and survey work, priority-setting, and target-driven programmes of conservation action for species, sites and habitats.”

This memorial issue of Bird Conservation International seeks to reflect the breadth of Colin Bibby’s legacy by presenting papers illustrating the role of ornithological science in saving threatened birds (albatrosses, South Asian vultures, migratory species, and the Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita); reviews of novel field and analytical techniques (surveying bird abundance, bird-habitat associations, fluctuating asymmetry, camera trapping, automated

sound recording, stable isotopes, and socio-economic surveys); and syntheses of progress in the development of bird conservation strategies (atlases, population indices, and Red List Indices).

“The BirdLife International Partnership has much to thank Colin for”, Mike Rands concludes. “Colin leaves a great legacy of knowledge and ideas, and this publication pays tribute to his innovative approach to the application of ornithology to conservation.”