Common birds declining worldwide – Indication of deteriorating environment

21/09/2008 17:01:08

Common birds are declining worldwide, providing evidence of a rapid deterioration in the global environment that is affecting all life on earth - including human life.

September 2008. All the world's governments have committed themselves to slowing or halting the biodiversity loss by 2010. But the reluctance to commit what are often trivial sums in terms of national budgets means that this target will almost certain to be missed.

These are some of the stark messages from State of the Worlds Birds, a new publication and website (birdlife.org/sowb) launched at BirdLife International's World Conference in Buenos Aires.

Dr Mike Rands - BirdLife's CEO said "Birds provide an accurate and easy to read environmental barometer, allowing us to see clearly the pressures our current way of life are putting on the world's biodiversity".

Worldwide bird decline
The report highlights worldwide losses among widespread and once-familiar birds.
• A staggering 45% of common European birds are declining: the familiar European Turtle-dove Streptopelia turtur, for example, has lost 62% of its population in the last 25 years.
• On the other side of the globe, resident Australian wading birds have seen population losses of 81% in just quarter of a century.
• Twenty North American common birds have more than halved in number in the last four decades. Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus fell most dramatically, by 82%. In Latin America, the Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata - once common in Argentina - is now classified as globally Endangered
• Millions of White-rumped Vultures Gyps bengalensis recently flew in Asian skies. In just sixteen years populations have crashed by 99.9% - the species is now classified as Critically Endangered.
• Widespread birds like the Eurasian Eagle Owl are believed to be vanishing from Middle Eastern forests.
• Seabirds - including Critically Endangered Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita - are disappearing from the world's oceans.

"Canary in the mine"
"Many of these birds have been a familiar part of our everyday lives, and people who would not necessarily have noticed other environmental indicators have seen their numbers slipping away, and are wondering why" said Dr Rands. "Because birds are found almost everywhere on earth, they can act as our eyes and ears, and what they are telling us is that the deterioration in biodiversity and the environment is accelerating, not slowing."

Threats - Farming, fishing, logging, invasive species & Climate change
State of the Worlds Birds identifies many key global threats, including the intensification of industrial-scale agriculture and fishing, the spread of invasive species, logging and the replacement of natural forest with monocultural plantations. However, Dr Rands warns: "In the long term, human-induced climate change may be the most serious stress of all".

Conservation works
The encouraging news is that conservation works and is relatively cheap. Direct action saved 16 bird species from extinction between 1994 and 2004. But conserving biodiversity now urgently needs more financial support.

"Effective biodiversity conservation is easily affordable, requiring relatively trivial sums at the scale of the global economy", said Dr Rands. For example, to maintain the protected area network which would safeguard 90 percent of Africa's biodiversity would cost less than $1 billion US dollars a year -yet in a typical year the global community provides around $300 million.

"The world is failing in its 2010 pledge to achieve a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biodiversity", said Dr Rands. "The challenge is to harness international biodiversity commitments and ensure that concrete actions are taken - now!"

Regional specific examples of common bird declines:

Africa The report highlights the decline of common African birds. Surveys show that birds of prey are in widespread decline outside protected areas. "Large African raptors such as vultures and eagles have been vanishing over the past 30 years", noted Dr Rands. In just three decades, 11 eagle species declined by 86-98% in Burkina Faso and surrounding countries of Mali and Niger . In addition, six large vulture species - including the once widespread and now globally Endangered Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus - have suffered extremely dramatic losses. The story is the same for birds migrating between Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Afro-Palearctic migratory birds have suffered massive (40%) population declines over just three decades. "Birds impacted by agricultural intensification in Europe may also suffer from excessive hunting in the Middle East and desertification of their African wintering grounds. These species are being hit at all stages of their annual journeys", warned Dr Rands. "Common migratory species such as Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla, Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus and Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos are silently disappearing."

North America The report highlights the decline of common North American birds. In North America, 20 common bird species have suffered population declines of over 50% in the last 40 years. "Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus has declined the most dramatically, with population reductions of 82%", noted Dr Rands. Other widespread species suffering significant declines include Evening Grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus (78%), Northern Pintail Anas acuta (77%) and Boreal Chickadee Parus hudsonica (73%). The story is the same for birds migrating between North and Latin America. "A staggering 57% of Neotropical migrants monitored at their breeding grounds have suffered from population declines over the last four decades", warned Dr Rands. "Migratory species such as the Wilson's Phalarope Steganopus tricolor, Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla and Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes are silently disappearing."

Latin America The report highlights the decline of common Latin American birds. Bird monitoring in El Salvador reports that 25% of common resident species - including Flame-coloured Tanager Piranga bidentata, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch Arremon brunneinucha, and Collared Trogon Trogon collaris - have experienced significant declines within the last decade. No monitored species increased. "Formerly widespread species, such as the Yellow Cardinal Gubernatrix cristata, once common in Argentina, are now classified as Endangered" noted Dr Rands. The story is the same for birds migrating between North and Latin America. "A staggering 57% of Neotropical migrants monitored at their breeding grounds have suffered from population declines over the last four decades", warned Dr Rands. "Migratory species such as the Wilson's Phalarope Steganopus tricolor, Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla and Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes are silently disappearing."

Asia The report highlights the decline of common Asian birds. "Thirty years ago, tens of millions of White-rumped Vultures Gyps bengalensis were flying the skies of Asia. This species was probably the most abundant large bird of prey in the world: it is now Critically Endangered and on the very brink of extinction", noted Dr Rands. Numbers have fallen by 99.9% since 1992. The story is the same for birds migrating between the Pacific and Asian regions. "Migratory shorebirds, and the wetland habitats they rely on for their annual journeys, are under threat all along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway", warned Dr Rands. The populations of migrant shorebirds wintering in south-eastern Australia have plummeted by 79% over a 24 year period, and species such as the Endangered Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer are declining throughout their range. Sixty-two percent of migratory waterbird species in Asia are either declining or already extinct.

Europe The report highlights the decline of common European birds. An analysis of 124 of Europe's common birds over a 26-year period reveals that 56 species (45%) have declined across 20 European countries, with farmland birds doing particularly badly. The familiar Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus has declined by 17%. Furthermore, species such as European Turtle-dove Streptopelia turtur, Grey Partridge Perdix perdix and Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra have dropped by 62%, 79% and 61% respectively. The story is the same for birds migrating between Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Afro-Palearctic migratory birds have suffered massive (40%) population declines over just three decades. "Birds impacted by agricultural intensification in Europe may also suffer from excessive hunting in the Middle East and desertification of their African wintering grounds. These species are being hit at all stages of their annual journeys", warned Dr Rands. "Common migratory species such as Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla, Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus and Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos are silently disappearing."

Middle East and Central Asia The report highlights the decline of common Middle East and Central Asian birds. Many common species such as Eurasian Eagle-owl are under great pressure and believed to be declining throughout the region. Once widespread, the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata (Vulnerable) has suffered rapid population declines. "The global population of Houbara Bustard may have fallen by 35% in the past twenty years alone", noted Dr Rands. The story is the same for birds migrating between Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Afro-Palearctic migratory birds have suffered massive (40%) population declines over just three decades. "Birds impacted by agricultural intensification in Europe may also suffer from excessive hunting in the Middle East and desertification of their African wintering grounds. These species are being hit at all stages of their annual journeys", warned Dr Rands. "Common migratory species such as Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla, Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus and Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos are silently disappearing."

Pacific The report highlights the decline of common birds in the Pacific region. "Studies of resident Australian waders reveal that 81% of their populations disappeared in just quarter of a century", noted Dr Rands. Seabirds are becoming threatened at a faster rate globally than all other bird groups. Presently, 19 of the 22 species of albatross are threatened with extinction, including Critically Endangered Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita which feeds throughout the South Pacific Ocean. The story is the same for birds migrating between the Pacific and Asian regions. "Migratory shorebirds, and the wetland habitats they rely on for their annual journeys, are under threat all along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway", warned Dr Rands. The populations of migrant shorebirds wintering in south-eastern Australia have plummeted by 79% over a 24 year period, and species such as the Endangered Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer are declining throughout their range. Sixty-two percent of migratory waterbird speceis in Asia are either declining or already extinct.

Thirty years ago, tens of millions of White-rumped Vultures Gyps bengalensis were flying the skies of Asia. They are now classified as Critically Endangered. Credit Marek Jobda / rarebirdsyearbook.com.

Rare birds are getting rarer
At present one in eight of the world's birds - 1,226 species - are Globally Threatened according to the IUCN Red List. Of these, 190 face an imminent risk of extinction. "The threat of extinction is real. Over the last three centuries 153 bird species are believed to have been lost forever - three species have vanished since 2000 alone", warned Dr Rands.

Birds help measure global progress towards biodiversity targets.
Globally agreed goals, such as the 2010 target to ‘achieve a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biodiversity', require a global monitoring system. Birds are at the forefront of producing such a monitoring system because they are found everywhere and are well monitored compared to other groups.

The 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (2010 BIP) is a global initiative to further develop and promote indicators for the consistent monitoring and assessment of biodiversity. BirdLife International is one of over forty organisations working to support the regular delivery of the 2010 biodiversity target indicators at the global and national levels.

In 2007, the Red List Index, which was initially designed and tested by BirdLife, was selected to be the basis of a new Millennium Development Goal (MDG) indicator, known as the ‘Proportion of species threatened with extinction'. Through such processes, birds will continue to play a vital role in monitoring progress towards conserving biodiversity in the years to come.

Protecting Important Bird Areas really helps
Important Bird Areas (IBAs) form a worldwide network of sites for the conservation of birds. BirdLife and its Partners have identified over 10,000 IBAs to date. When complete, this global network is likely to cover some 10 million km2 (c.7% of the world's land surface) identified on the basis of about 40% of the world's bird species.

The effective conservation of these sites will contribute substantially to the protection of the world's biological diversity. While formal protection often remains the preferred option, other more innovative approaches can also be highly effective. These range from maximising the engagement of local communities to ensuring effective application of safeguard policies and Environmental Impact Assessment for development projects. In all cases a commitment to long-term engagement is the key to success.

Birds are important to people's livelihoods
Conserving biodiversity and eliminating poverty are linked global challenges. The poor, particularly the rural poor, depend on nature for many elements of their livelihoods, including food, fuel, shelter and medicines. Working alongside people who will ultimately benefit from conservation can build social capital, improve accountability and reduce poverty. In contrast, excluding people from conservation actions can increase conflict, resentment and poverty.

Understanding how people experience poverty locally is essential in identifying how biodiversity conservation can help improve their livelihoods. BirdLife Partners have worked with communities to develop site-specific solutions to the problems they have identified.

Examples include supporting agricultural development around Kabira National Park, Burundi, to help reduce pressure on the park's land and resources, developing ecotourism to generate income at San Marcos, Bolivia, and improving management and marketing of non-timber forest products in Palas Valley, Pakistan.

BirdLife International Partners are increasingly engaging with diverse policy issues relevant to the conservation of biodiversity. Partners are tackling policy sectors that deal directly with biodiversity (such as forests, wildlife trade and the marine environment), but significantly they are also addressing policy sectors that have a major indirect impact, or cut across the other sectors (such as poverty reduction, conservation finance and tourism).

More conservation funding is urgently needed
Global conservation investment still falls far short of what is needed. Conservation financing is rarely sustained and often not directed where it can do most good. The biggest shortfalls are in developing countries-often biodiversity rich but economically poor. Those who benefit from biodiversity as a global good must contribute more to looking after it. Effective biodiversity conservation is, in fact, easily affordable, requiring relatively trivial sums at the scale of the global economy.

In 2005, the African protected area network received around US $300 million, less than 40% of the funding required for an expanded and effectively managed system. Making up the difference would go a long way to ensuring the conservation of 90% of the continent's irreplaceable biodiversity-in global terms an absolute bargain. In Nigeria, for example, the annual appropriation for protected area management is a small fraction of the budgeted requirements, and what can actually be spent is even less.