The Amazing Journey

An important step for the future conservation of Sociable Lapwing will be made later today in La Rochelle, France, when the new International Species Action Plan for its conservation is presented for adoption at the Africa Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) Meeting of Parties that is taking place there this week.

In addition to the eyewitness reports we’ve received confirming Sociable Lapwing migration is now well underway; Abaj, Dina and Dana, three of the four birds we are satellite-tracking this autumn, have also begun their post-breeding migrations.

Omar Fadhil is an ecologist and wildlife photographer working for Nature Iraq.

Conservation scientists and government officials from fourteen countries spanning three continents are meeting in Syria today to plan collaborative conservation action that aims to prevent the extinction of the Critically Endangered Sociable Lapwing.

In September 2010, Nature Iraq undertook a combined monitoring and advocacy exercise in several areas of Iraq where Sociable Lapwings have been previously found on passage.

Here you can see a group of school children holding up posters that explain the rarity of the species and urge local communities to participate in their protection.

Syrian conservationists and RSPB staff conducting surveys in Syria this week, were surprised to discover Sociable Lapwings present in the country and apparently already on the return leg from their wintering grounds.

After an absence of any firm location data since early October, Erzhan – our most experienced traveller – has just popped up on our radar again. For the fourth year running we can confirm he is now back in a wintering flock in Sudan.

One important aspect of our conservation activities for Sociable Lapwings is building an understanding of their global distribution and migratory flyways. If you’ve seen a Sociable Lapwing in the past three years and would like to add your sighting to our records please let us know by submitting a report.

News of a new transmission we have just received marks the most exciting movement by any of the birds we are currently tracking so far. A signal from Raushan from September 22nd now almost certainly locates her in Northern Pakistan a few kilometres north east of Thawoos, near the Yasin valley.

Jim Lawrence is Development Manager of the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme.