BirdLife News Round-up: February 2009

"To be at the helm of the fantastic conservation alliance that is BirdLife International, is a dream come true”, announced Dr Marco Lambertini - BirdLife’s new Chief Executive. For the last 10 years, Marco has been Director of Network and Programme, and described his new role as: “a great opportunity to continue to strengthen our unique Partnership".

And it’s the BirdLife Partnership that makes us unique. Made up of more than 100 organisations, we’re the world’s largest bird conservation union. BirdLife never stops working towards common goals. As one Partner sleeps, another one works – we’re truly a 24-7 network.

As if to illustrate this, February was a busy month for BirdLife’s Global Partnership. In the Americas we heard about new report by Audubon (BirdLife in the USA) that found climate change is having a serious impact on natural systems (Birds' movements reveal climate change in action). A North American study also showed that diverse bird populations help to buffer humans against infections such as West Nile virus (Birds buffer against virus). BirdLife was amongst a number of conservation groups that demanded action to reverse the deteriorating condition of Peru’s Lake Junín - home to Critically Endangered Junín Grebe (Is there a future for flightless grebes?).

In the spirit of our greatest global wanderers, February saw albatross news from South Georgia, Chile, the UK and South Africa. Whilst Hayley Shephard attempts the first solo sea-kayak circumnavigation of South Georgia in efforts to help BirdLife's Save the Albatross Campaign (BirdLife News-Byte), members of BirdLife’s Albatross Task Force attended first ever workshop in Chile (Using science to save the albatross). Later in the month - and on the other side of the Atlantic - HRH The Prince of Wales held an event in the UK which celebrated the news that for every 100 albatrosses being killed in fisheries in South African waters in 2006, 85 are now being saved thanks to the efforts of the Albatross Task Force” (Prince of Wales to hear about Albatross Task Force success). Fantastic.

“The success of the task force has been amazing” —Dr Ben Sullivan, BirdLife’s Global Seabird Programme Coordinator

In Europe, SEO/BirdLife (BirdLife in Spain) launched the first online encyclopaedia of Spanish birds (Spanish online bird encyclopaedia launched), whilst SOR (BirdLife in Romania) and BirdLife Malta (BirdLife in Malta) independently fought against illegal shooting (Dalmatian Pelicans illegally shot in Romania) and trapping activities (Arsonists attack Maltese Reserve).

As I write, BirdLife Partners from nine countries are meeting to discuss progress of a major project to enhance monitoring of Africa’s Important Bird Areas (IBAs) (Conserving biodiversity hotspots in Africa). This important meeting comes on the back of a bumper month of African IBA news. We read about: a new study in Bird Conservation International – BirdLife’s journal – reporting that IBAs within Protected Areas hold more Globally Threatened bird species than those outside them (Improving efficiency in monitoring Africa's IBAs); a new report launched by NatureKenya (BirdLife in Kenya) detailing the Status and Trends of Kenyan IBAs in 2007; and, the results of the Zambian Ornithological Society’s (BirdLife in Zambia) wildlife story competition in their IBA schools (Protecting Africa's IBAs – People and Partnerships).

As migratory birds pass through the Middle East – returning to their breeding rounds in the north – a new website for Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis has been launched to help develop and implement the conservation and rehabilitation of the species in the region, and further afield (BirdLife News-Byte).

The European Commission recently awarded a BirdLife in the Pacific project the highest marks among all the work it funds in the region (BirdLife Pacific gets top marks from European Commission). Staying in the Pacific, Birds Australia (BirdLife in Australia) produced their sixth ‘The state of Australia’s birds’ which documents that birds of garden, water, scrub and woodland are showing marked falls in their populations. However, the encouraging news is that the status of some species is improving as a result of conservation action (The state of Australia's birds). This was also reflected by an amazing story from New Zealand where a Critically Endangered Kakapo has been resighted after a 22 year break (BirdLife News-Byte)!

“BirdLife's unique governance unites its Partners around a common mission, vision and strategy”, said Marco. With 24 stories – long and short – February’s news shows what a round-the-clock Partnership can achieve.

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