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Today, BirdLife International released the European Red List of Birds 2021[1]. The Red List reviews the regional extinction risk of 544 bird species in over 50 countries and territories in Europe and follows the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria applied at regional level[2]. Each species extinction risk is evaluated from ‘Least Concern’ to ‘Extinct’.
Close to where I live in Cambridgeshire, in the East of England, is one of my favourite nature reserves – Ouse Fen. It is a classic reedbed with bitterns booming and marsh harrier gliding gracefully overhead.
This weekend we celebrate both World Migratory Bird Day and World Mental Health Day. For Claire Thompson, author of The Art of Mindful Birdwatching: Reflections on Freedom Being, bird flight is a symbol of freedom, representing the ability to soar through life without limitations.
The massive scale of planned offshore wind development in Europe’s Northern Seas poses a threat to seabird populations.
Right now, 15 governments and the EU are working towards designating a Marine Protected Area approximately the same size of France in the North Atlantic. As it is in the high seas, this site is an area beyond national jurisdiction. A detailed management plan must be implemented and enforced to protect this area rich in marine biodiversity.
Terrible news for wild birds in France: President Emmanuel Macron has just re-authorised horrific bird trapping practices which only have their place in history books. BirdLife’s French Partner, LPO, reports.
“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” Joel Arthur Barker, American futurist
Fires. Storms. Floods. The climate crisis is here, and it’s making extreme weather events ever more frequent. As we fight the root causes of the crisis, it is just as important to protect ourselves against its devastating consequences. We must adapt. To do so, restoring our natural landscapes is essential.
We are at a critical juncture in our history and that of our planet: the joint climate and biodiversity crises now threaten the survival of humanity. Just this summer, several European countries were hit by deadly wildfires and unprecedented floods, killing hundreds of people, causing billions in damages, and leading to serious economic, social and health consequences. While this was a consequence of climate change, it was also a repercussion of the collapse of biodiversity.
It has been hard not to be deeply affected by the events of the past few weeks: catastrophic floods in Germany, China and India killing hundreds of people; forest fires in Siberia and North America; and drought and famine in Southern Madagascar. We know these extreme weather events have been triggered by the climate crisis, and it acutely demonstrates that we are now living with the consequences of our collective failure to wean ourselves off fossil fuels.
We are one month on from the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, with another 119 months to drive the transformational changes to address the climate and ecological emergency – an emergency that had been brought into sharp focus by the heatwaves and fires raging in British Columbia and Siberia.
Join us for a bite-sized round-up of advances published in our journal Bird Conservation International. Highlights include the complexities of reintroducing hornbills to the wild, the truly devastating scale of European Turtle-dove hunting, and a newly-identified Spoon-billed Sandpiper moulting site.
