Birdwatching

CONTINUES APACE...

The latest update of the IUCN red list of threatened species shows that 17.291 species out of the 47.677 assessed species are threatened with extinction.

The red list authority for birds and released the 2009 update for birds earlier in the year, listing 192 species of birds as critically endangered, the highest threat category, a total of two more than in the 2008 update, but the update did highlight some successes, including the downlisting of lear's Macaw from critically endangered endangered, as a direst result of targeted conservation action.

In global terms; things continue to get worse, but there are some real conservation success stories this year to give us hope and point the way forward.
Of the world's 9.998 birds, 137 are extinct or extinct in the wild, with 192 critically endangered, 362 endangered and 669 vulnerable.
The results of the full red list update reveal 21% of mammals, 30% of amphibians, 12% of birds, and 28% of reptiles, 37% of freshwater fishes, 70% of plants, 35% of invertebrates assesses so far under threat.

The scientific evidence of a serious extinction crisis is mounting.
The latest analysis of the IUCN red list shows the 2010 target to reduce biodiversity loss will not be met. It's rime for governments to start getting serious about saving species and make sure it's high on their agendas for next year, as we're rapidly running out of time.

In global terms, things continue to get worse....

LEAVE FOR AFRICA.



Two recent studies have revealed new information on the migration routes of Eleonora's Falcon, tracking the birds 9.500 km from their European breeding colonies to their main non breeding grounds in Madagascar.


Eleonora's Falcon is a patchily distributed breeding visitor to rocky coasts and islands in the Mediterranean.
It is unusual among birds of prey in having a reproductive cycle adapted to match the southward migration of passerine birds, which it eats.
This means it breeds much later than many other species, with the young hatching in late August.
The species was named after Gludicessa Eleonora de Arboren (1350-1404), a Sardinian princess who fought for Sardinia's Independence from the kingdom of Aragon and who drafted the first laws in Europe protecting birds of prey.


Until recently, it was believed the species migrated east through the Mediterranean, then south via the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa to Madagascar, where 70% of the global population is estimated to converge in the winter.
However, the new studies used satellite transmitters to show that these birds reach their destination by flying right across the centre of the African continent.

Other secrets uncovered include the finding that they migrate by both day and night, crossing huge barriers such as the Sahara Desert. Some of the birds took two months to complete their mammoth journeys, including a stopover in West Africa.


The return route to European breeding grounds in spring also crossed the heart of the African continent, but involved a longer crossing (1.500) km of the Indian Ocean than in the autumn. Adult birds returned directly to the Mediterranean, whereas immature falcons, spent time along the African-Eurasian flyway.

Every time a migratory bird manages to cross a continent, it tells us an extraordinary story of courage.....

The only short legged wader whit a long upcurved bill.
In many ways, a particularly charismatic wader.


The TEREK SANDPIPER.


Attention is often first drawn by the amazingly actieve feeding habit of this bird, typically, It moves much faster than the calidris and tringa species among which It usually feeds, with abrupt changes of direction. In all the pale brownich grey upperparts, head and breast patches recall the smaller common sandpiper, but Terek is lager, deeper chested and paler , with conspicuous orangey legs and long, evenly upcurved bill.

At closer ranges, a blackish patch can be seen at the carpal joint of the folded wing and, for most the year, an irregular blackish line down the centre of each set of scapulars.
In flight, pattern of black grey, black white across the inner half of the wing is diagnostic, as is the combination of a bold white trailing edge and a grey rump and tail.
Only the tips of the toes protrude beyond the tail. Wingbeats are rather shallow and flicking.

Do have a look at the bare parts, the bill blackish, usually with a small area of dull orange at base, Iris brown, legs short, shoter than bill, bright orange or orange yellow, sometimes duller orange or greenihs yellow. If you here the voice , typical in flight note a sharp fluty twit wit wit wit, recalling common sandpiper, and whimbrel, each syllable rises slighly in pitch. Also xit a wit tuudu and softer hu hu hu? Alarm a sharper tu li, In display, a long melodious prerrr.....



The Terek breeds in May July along lagers rivers and shores of freshwater lakes of the USSR and FINLAND.
Winters manly on tropical coasts, especially muddy bays and estuariies .











Thats the bird to look for believe me....

TRANS BOUNDARY PARK WILL BE A SYMBOL OF PEACE AND STABILITY........


The presidents of Sierra Leone and Liberia Jointly inaugurated a trans boundary rainforest Peace Park, which will protect one of the largest remaining blocks of intact of West Africa.....






DEATHLY OWL SCARES ZIMBABWEAN FAMILY.......


The Chitofu family living in Eastiea, Zimbabwe, feared that they had been bewitched by an owl which had haunted them for four months and refused to fly away when approached....





AFRICA MAKES PROGRESS IN CONSERVING IBAs.......


The annual planning and review meeting of the Africa Protected Area-IBA Monitoring Project was held in the first week of march 2009, hosted by Association "Les Amis des oiseaux". The preliminary findings of the midterm evaluation, presented at the meeting, revealed that the project is on course, and that a lot of work has gone into addressing the key deliverables....


IMPROVING EFFICIENCY IN MONITORING AFRICA'S IBA's



It is taken as given that Africa is well endowed with rich biodiversity. Increasingly, national governments, NGOs and other stakeholders are making concerted efforts to protect it. However,Africa is a vast continent and hence investments of limited resources in conservation work need to be targeted to those areas where they will deliver the highest possible returns....







ACTION PLAN FOR WHITE WINGED FLUFFTAIL MUST ADDRESS MIGRATION QUESTION.....



A workshop to develop an International Single Species Action Plan for Endangered White winged Flufftail has been held in Ababa, Ethiopia.
Although the flufftail has been recorded at nine wetland sites in the south...









MADAGASCAR POND HERON THROWN A LIFELINE.....



The Endangered Madagascar pond heron has recieved much needed attention from all its range states.....



Sort news from Africa, ant the nature happening....

MIGRANT BIRDS.



Mystery Is surrounding the huge declines of birds that migrate thousands of miles from Africa to Europe each spring.
Scientist fear that their dwindling numbers may be a warning of widespread environmental damage.
Climate change, drought and desertification in Africa, and massive pesticide use on African farmland may all be to blame for the declines of once common birds such as , the spottef flycatcher, northen wheatear, wood wabler and European Turtledove, Europe starts a study Led by the birdwatchers groups.






At the same time, birds such as the European roller pallid harrier and lesser kestrel have also vanished from regular breeding sites on the continent.
All three are now classified as near-or globally threatened.
There is something about the migrants, lifestyle that is making them vulnerable and their declines are reminiscent of those we began to see in farmland birds 30 years ago.








Migrants have been slipping away for more than three decades but the scale of their disappearance is only now becoming apparent.
To Investigate four theories for the loss of migrant birds>>>>>>
CLIMATE CHANGE.....air temperatures are changing and warmer springs are causing insects to breed earlier? Resident birds may be surviving winters better and, alongside insects, are adapting more quickly to climate change, long distance migrants flying from Africa cannot detect the temperature increase that heralds an early spring in Europe and may arrive too late to use the best nest sites and catch the insect food glut on which their young depend.


Drought and agriculture in the Sahel.... The Sahel borders the southern Sahara, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Horn of Africa in the east. It covers 1.6 billion hectares and includes regions of 12 countries,. Long term drought and agricultural intensification, including the <idespread use of pesticides and fertilisers, has turned much of the sahel into desert.
The area is the first feeding opportunity for migrants crossing the SAHARA.






Desertification.....The Sahara is now much bigger than it used to be, also because of drought.
Migrating birds must fly over this desert in one flight, to reach their winter homes. The birds may be unable to fly further in one go and if so, many will not cope with the longer journey .

Pest control... Huge amounts of pesticides are now used to kill locusts and protect crops in Africa, and may be killing birds as well, However, there is proof that conservation work for threatened migrants can be effective.