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Updated on Saturday, January 3 at 01:55 PM ET
The most recently received Mail is at the top.


Snow Geese,©BirdQuest

3 Jan High hopes for bumper kakapo breeding season [Jeremy Taylor ]
3 Jan BirdLife in Indochina leads $9.5 million conservation fund [Jeremy Taylor ]
3 Jan Chester Zoo to launch vital new wildlife project [Jeremy Taylor ]
28 Dec Christmas cracker at South African roost [Jeremy Taylor ]
28 Dec Charity foundation supports BirdLife's global vision [Jeremy Taylor ]
19 Dec Natron's flamingos star in Disney film! [Jeremy Taylor ]
17 Dec Seychelles success story [Jeremy Taylor ]
11 Dec Killer mice bring albatross population closer to extinction [Jeremy Taylor ]
11 Dec Turkish protest against the Ilisu Dam [Jeremy Taylor ]
11 Dec Soaring migratory bird deaths in Egypt [Jeremy Taylor ]
5 Dec SAVE Brasil’s Red-billed Curassow campaign goes to school [Jeremy Taylor ]
5 Dec Crossrail deal boosts hopes for ailing wildlife at Wallasea [Jeremy Taylor ]
5 Dec BirdLife protects migratory birds of prey [Jeremy Taylor ]
5 Dec Slender-billed quest [Jeremy Taylor ]
29 Nov Nigerian community empowered by wetland project [Jeremy Taylor ]
27 Nov Project emphasises conservation and livelihood link [Jeremy Taylor ]
26 Nov Big trouble for UK and Icelandic seabirds [Jeremy Taylor ]
26 Nov Plan to save bird extinct in wild [Jeremy Taylor ]
24 Nov African Important Bird Areas get conservation toolkit [Jeremy Taylor ]
24 Nov Bird cnservation on Syrian channel [Yousef Ali Alzaoby ]
23 Nov BirdLife volunteers receive prestigious prize [Jeremy Taylor ]
19 Nov Switzerland publishes IBA inventory [Jeremy Taylor ]
18 Nov RSPB urges swift action to restore threatened farmland birds [Jeremy Taylor ]
18 Nov Brazil pledges to help save seabirds [Jeremy Taylor ]
14 Nov British company endangers wildlife paradise [Jeremy Taylor ]
12 Nov Migratory birds bridge water, culture and religion [Jeremy Taylor ]
12 Nov First Protected Area Established for Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaw [Jeremy Taylor ]
12 Nov International action to save Lesser White-fronted Goose [Jeremy Taylor ]
6 Nov International agreement join-ups flyway conservation [Jeremy Taylor ]
6 Nov New directory finds almost half Caribbean IBAs lack protection [Jeremy Taylor ]
30 Oct Blind flamingo attacked at Australian zoo [Jeremy Taylor ]
30 Oct Report warns of shorebird extinctions [Jeremy Taylor ]
30 Oct Feathering the nests [Jeremy Taylor ]
30 Oct Students giving wing to species [Jeremy Taylor ]
28 Oct Irish birds in alarming decline [Jeremy Taylor ]
28 Oct Swans delay migration to stay in warmth of Siberia [Jeremy Taylor ]
28 Oct Costa Rica protects green macaw by banning logging of mountain almond tree [Jeremy Taylor ]
26 Oct Illegal Mexican Parrot Trade Targeted by New Ban [Jeremy Taylor ]
24 Oct Cypriot mass bird poisoning blamed on poachers [Jeremy Taylor ]
24 Oct Rare bird rediscovered on 'most pristine' island in southeast Asia [Jeremy Taylor ]
24 Oct Migratory birds of prey to be protected by UN-backed agreement [Jeremy Taylor ]
22 Oct Safer passage for migratory birds of prey [Jeremy Taylor ]
22 Oct Kokako return to the south [Jeremy Taylor ]
22 Oct World's Rarest Cockatoo Rediscovered in Indonesia [Jeremy Taylor ]
20 Oct Palau publishes IBA directory [Jeremy Taylor ]
20 Oct Logging blamed for decline in already rare swift parrot [Jeremy Taylor ]
19 Oct Sanctuaries help protect lives of birds in Kuwait [Jeremy Taylor ]
18 Oct American seabirds thrown a lifeline [Jeremy Taylor ]
16 Oct Over 25 Irish bird species suffer alarming declines, says report [Jeremy Taylor ]
16 Oct Malta protects Important Bird Areas under Natura 2000 [Jeremy Taylor ]
15 Oct Bird-a-thon bears Golden-cheeked fruit [Jeremy Taylor ]
15 Oct Rare Kauai bird making comeback [Jeremy Taylor ]

Subject: High hopes for bumper kakapo breeding season
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2009 11:55:18 -0800 (PST)
High hopes for bumper kakapo breeding season

Updated at 11:10am on 3 January 2009

The Kakapo Recovery Programme hopes this breeding season will produce 40 
chicks, increasing the current population by almost 50%. 


The world's biggest parrot is on the critically endangered list, with only 90 
birds left anywhere. 


In the early 1990s, the kakapo was facing extinction with just 51 birds 
recorded. 


Conservation group Forest and Bird says there are now more adult females than 
at any time in the past 100 years, which signals a bumper breeding season in 
2009. 


Full story at http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/01/03/124597759d60
Subject: BirdLife in Indochina leads $9.5 million conservation fund
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2009 10:42:43 -0800 (PST)
BirdLife in Indochina leads $9.5 million conservation fund

02-01-2009

Indochina has an impressive geographic diversity, which supports a wide variety 
of habitats and high overall biodiversity. But only 5% of the original habitat 
remains, and these tiny fragments are threatened by human pressure and 
large-scale development. Immediate action is required to save these habitats 
and their unique species. 


Now a major $9.5 million, five-year investment in Indochina has been launched, 
aiming to conserve biodiversity by engaging and building the capacity of civil 
society organisations. The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) for the 
Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot is a collaboration between CEPF and BirdLife 
International. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/01/indochina_cepf.html
Subject: Chester Zoo to launch vital new wildlife project
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2009 10:41:38 -0800 (PST)
Chester Zoo to launch vital new wildlife project

Jan 2 2009 by David Norbury, Chester Chronicle

CHESTER Zoo is teaming up with a leading biodiversity information centre to 
launch an important new wildlife project. 


It follows survey results which show that numbers of house sparrows, starlings 
and blackbirds have fallen dramatically over the last 30 years. 


All three species have been familiar residents of British back gardens for 
decades. 


Monitoring local wildlife is the aim of the new project to be launched by the 
zoo and rECOrd, Cheshire’s biodiversity information centre. 


Full story at http://tinyurl.com/9tv7t7
Subject: Christmas cracker at South African roost
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2008 19:07:32 -0800 (PST)
Christmas cracker at South African roost

24-12-2008

Scientists monitoring at Mount Moreland - South Africa’s largest Barn Swallow 
Hirundo rustica roost - have captured their first overseas ringed bird from a 
festively snowy location. The young Barn Swallow had flown all the way from 
Finland – a total of 11,000 km! “This is an amazing Christmas gift”, said 
Hilary Vickers of the Lake Victoria Conservancy – sponsors of the Mount 
Moreland ringing programme. 


“We were carefully fitting the swallows with rings so we can monitor their 
movements when we spotted a bird already carrying one”, said Mount Moreland 
bird-ringer Andrew Pickles. “A magnifying glass provided the words Helsinki - 
Finland!” 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/moreland_swallow.html
Subject: Charity foundation supports BirdLife's global vision
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2008 19:06:52 -0800 (PST)
Charity foundation supports BirdLife's global vision

22-12-2008

The Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation has recently approved three BirdLife 
projects for grants totalling €1,139,589 ($1,600,000) over three years. 


"It is very reassuring during this time of economic uncertainty, to have the 
continued financial support of a donor like the Aage V. Jensen Charity 
Foundation", said Caroline Pridham, who as Programme Development Manager for 
BirdLife, works very closely with the Foundation. "Since 2004, the Aage V. 
Jensen Charity Foundation has worked very closely with us and has provided 
grants for 16 BirdLife projects in many regions of the world." 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/jensen.html
Subject: Natron's flamingos star in Disney film!
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:34:08 -0800 (PST)
Natron's flamingos star in Disney film!

19-12-2008

Walt Disney have chosen Lake Natron’s Lesser Flamingos Phoeniconaias minor to 
star in their first wildlife blockbuster in nearly half a century. ‘The 
Crimson Wing - Mystery of the Flamingos’ takes viewers to the isolated shores 
of Lake Natron, in northern Tanzania, for a birds-eye view of the mysterious 
and perilous lives of Lesser Flamingos. The film was premiered in Paris this 
week, and reminds the world of the threats facing one the world’s greatest 
wildlife spectacles. 


Walt Disney produced wildlife documentaries called the ‘True-Life 
Adventure’ series between 1948 and 1960. These Oscar-winning films showed 
people the beauty of the natural world. The Crimson Wing marks the return of 
Disney to the genre. “We hope these films will contribute to a greater 
understanding and appreciation of the beauty and fragility of our natural 
world”, said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO, The Walt Disney Company. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/crimson_wing.html
Subject: Seychelles success story
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:11:02 -0800 (PST)
Seychelles success story

17-12-2008

This week BirdLife International and Nature Seychelles (BirdLife in Seychelles) 
are celebrating the anniversary of one the world’s greatest conservation 
success stories. In 1968, Cousin Island was purchased by the International 
Council of Bird Preservation (ICBP now BirdLife International) to save the last 
remaining population of Seychelles Warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis from 
extinction. Forty years on, warbler numbers have risen by 300%, and the island 
has been transformed from a coconut plantation to a profitable Nature Reserve 
which greatly benefits local people and global biodiversity. 


Cousin Island – a small island in Seychelles - is today home to a wealth of 
globally important wildlife. It is the most significant nesting site for 
Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata in the Western Indian Ocean, and 
supports over 300,000 nesting seabirds of seven species. Cousin also hosts five 
of the Seychelles’ eleven endemic land-birds including: Seychelles 
Magpie-robin Copsychus seychellarum (Endangered), Seychelles Sunbird Nectarinia 
dussumieri, Seychelles Fody Foudia seychellarum and Seychelles Blue-pigeon 
Alectroenas pulcherrima. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/cousin_island.html
Subject: Killer mice bring albatross population closer to extinction
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:15:38 -0800 (PST)
Killer mice bring albatross population closer to extinction

11-12-2008

The Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena, has suffered 
its worst breeding season ever, according to research by the RSPB (BirdLife in 
the UK). The number of chicks making it through to fledging has decreased 
rapidly and it is now five times lower than it should be because introduced 
predatory mice are eating the chicks alive on Gough island - the bird’s only 
home and a South Atlantic territory of the United Kingdom. 


The mice are also affecting Gough Island’s other Critically Endangered 
endemic species, Gough Bunting Rowettia goughensis. A recent survey of the 
bunting’s population revealed that the population has halved within the last 
two decades. Now there are only an estimated 400-500 pairs left. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/gough_island.html
Subject: Turkish protest against the Ilisu Dam
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:14:58 -0800 (PST)
Turkish protest against the Ilisu Dam

09-12-2008

Protesters from Doğa Derneği (BirdLife in Turkey) unfurled a banner over the 
Turkcell Billboard in Istanbul on 25 November to highlight the construction of 
the Ilisu Dam. Showing panoramic views of Hasankeyf - a site marked for 
destruction as part of the dam construction -demonstrators, wearing the flags 
of Austria, Germany and Switzerland hung from the 20 metre high structure 
displaying their message: Hasankeyf today, tomorrow, forever. 


“It is time for a positive decision”, said Erkut Erturk, Campaign 
Coordinator for Doğa Derneği. “Prime Minister Erdogan should honour his 
commitment to our heritage and save Hasankeyf forever by registering this 
culturally and biologically diverse region on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites 
list”. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/turkey_protest.html
Subject: Soaring migratory bird deaths in Egypt
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:13:51 -0800 (PST)
Soaring migratory bird deaths in Egypt

08-12-2008

Large numbers of migrating Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina and White Stork 
Ciconia ciconia have been found dead near a water treatment plant in Egypt. The 
exact causes of their death are not known. However, a new BirdLife project will 
address key threats to soaring migratory birds as they undertake their epic 
journeys. 


Soaring migratory birds glide between areas of rising hot air to aid their 
long-distance passage. This method, which cannot be used over large water 
bodies or high mountains, limits the potential routes and concentrates birds 
into vulnerable corridors. Egypt is at a critical geographic bottleneck for 
soaring migratory birds, and at the time of the recent deaths thousands of 
birds were passing through the country. 


Full story at 
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/egyptian_bird_deaths.html 
Subject: SAVE Brasil’s Red-billed Curassow campaign goes to school
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 19:26:22 -0800 (PST)
SAVE Brasil’s Red-billed Curassow campaign goes to school

05-12-2008

The Endangered Red-billed Curassow Crax blumenbachii is endemic to the 
Brazilian Atlantic Forest, which once covered 1 million km2 of Brazil, but has 
been reduced to isolated fragments, mostly in southern Bahia. 


Because of its large size and attractive appearance, Red-billed Curassow is 
hunted for food and the bird trade. It is estimated that no more than 250 
individuals remain in the wild, mainly in Sooretana Biological Reserve and Vale 
do Rio Doce Natural Reserve (state of Espírito Santo), and Descobrimento, 
Monte Pascoal and Pau Brasil National Parks (Bahia). 


Full story at 
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/red_billed_curassow.html 
Subject: Crossrail deal boosts hopes for ailing wildlife at Wallasea
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 19:25:37 -0800 (PST)
Crossrail deal boosts hopes for ailing wildlife at Wallasea

05-12-2008

Material excavated from beneath London for Crossrail’s new cross-capital rail 
link is to be used to create a huge wildlife reserve in Essex, England. Clay, 
chalk, sand and gravel taken from the construction of Crossrail will be 
transferred by ship to Wallasea Island, which the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) 
will transform into 1,500 acres – nearly 4 square km - of tidal wildlife 
habitat. 


The agreement links Europe’s largest construction project with the 
continent’s biggest coastal habitat creation scheme. The project, to help 
replace wildlife sites damaged by climate change, was announced a year ago but 
depended on raising at least £12 million. Plans subsequently altered and costs 
have risen. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/wallasea.html
Subject: BirdLife protects migratory birds of prey
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 19:24:51 -0800 (PST)
BirdLife protects migratory birds of prey

04-12-2008

BirdLife have become the first non-governmental organisation to sign a new 
treaty protecting migratory raptors. The 'African-Eurasian Memorandum of 
Understanding on Birds of Prey' will help to protect migratory birds of prey 
and owls from threats such as habitat destruction, persecution, accidental 
killing and the effects of climate change. BirdLife Partners are already 
preparing to launch a new project which will address key areas of the 
agreement. 


"Birds of prey face many threats as they travel through countries on 
migration", said Dr Marco Lambertini - BirdLife's Director of Network and 
Programme. "For example, European species of conservation concern such as 
Osprey Pandion haliaetus are killed by powerlines in Europe each year". 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/cms_mou_signing.html
Subject: Slender-billed quest
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 19:24:09 -0800 (PST)
Slender-billed quest

04-12-2008

The RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) and other partners have launched a last push to 
find one of the world's rarest birds. 


They have issued a call to search for and find any remaining populations of 
Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris. This announcement was made at the 
Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory 
Species (UNEP-CMS COP 9), in Rome, Italy, 1-5 December. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/sbc_launch.html
Subject: Nigerian community empowered by wetland project
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:00:34 -0800 (PST)
Nigerian community empowered by wetland project

28-11-2008

A collaborative project by BirdLife and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation 
(NCF; BirdLife in Nigeria) has empowered a community to improve a local 
wetland. Habitat management has greatly improved the wetland, and local people 
are already catching more and bigger fish. The forthcoming annual waterbird 
count will soon reveal how birds have also benefited. 


The pilot scheme is part of the Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) project, a large 
collaborative initiative aimed at conserving migratory waterbirds and their 
habitats in the African-Eurasian region. WOW has been operational in Nigeria 
since the middle of 2007, and is working with local partners to foster local 
solutions to the environmental challenges they face with regard to the wetlands 
and their livelihoods. 


The Hadejia Nguru wetlands are an Important Bird Area and Ramsar site in the 
Sahel zone of north-eastern Nigeria, and the location for the WOW demonstration 
project. The wetlands are an important wintering and stop-over site for 
waterbirds migrating between Europe and Africa. They offer respite and water 
for 68 species such as Ruff Philomachus pugnax and Spur-winged Goose 
Plectropterus gambensis. 


Full story at 
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/wow_nigeria_success.html 
Subject: Project emphasises conservation and livelihood link
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2008 20:11:07 -0800 (PST)
Project emphasises conservation and livelihood link

27-11-2008

A pilot project in Burkina Faso, Botswana and Kenya implemented by BirdLife 
Africa Partners, has confirmed that communities do benefit from the sustainable 
use of natural resources. Over the last four years, the 'Improving Livelihoods' 
scheme has demonstrated clear links between biodiversity conservation and 
poverty reduction. 


"The livelihood security of millions of rural people all over Africa is 
inextricably linked with biodiversity and the use of biological resources, 
either through the direct use of the goods which they supply to people, or 
indirectly through the wider environmental and cultural services", said Dr 
Hazell Shokellu Thompson, BirdLife Director for Africa and Secretariat Head. 
"This is what BirdLife in Africa has been showcasing through this project and 
it's satisfying to see results". 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/swedbio_project.html
Subject: Big trouble for UK and Icelandic seabirds
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:29:03 -0800 (PST)
Big trouble for UK and Icelandic seabirds

26-11-2008

Analysis of this year's seabird breeding data on RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) 
coastal reserves shows that Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, Arctic 
Tern Sterna paradisaea and Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus – more 
commonly known as Arctic Skua - have had a terrible season, with virtually no 
chicks reared to fledging in the far north of the UK. Changes in food supply, 
which may be linked to climate change, could threaten the future of these 
species in the UK. 


The UK is internationally important for seabirds. Scotland alone is home to 
over three million seabirds, which is around 45% of the European Union’s 
breeding seabird population. 

Earlier this year, the RSPB issued a grave prognosis for the breeding season. 
Many internationally-important colonies had abandoned nests, and empty cliffs 
which should have been teeming with tens of thousands of seabirds were very 
quiet. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/rspb_seabirds.html
Subject: Plan to save bird extinct in wild
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:24:56 -0800 (PST)
Plan to save bird extinct in wild

Edinburgh Zoo has joined forces with Paignton Zoo in Devon and zoos abroad in a 
bid to save a bird that has been extinct in the wild for 30 years. 


The Socorro dove, which originates from Socorro Island off Mexico, died out in 
the wild in the 1970s as a result of human disturbance and habitat loss. 


Several were held in private collections and breeding pairs were formed to 
sustain the population. 


Edinburgh Zoo has produced 11 chicks to date.

In the next stage of the reintroduction, five birds from Edinburgh Zoo and 
seven birds from Paignton Zoo were flown to California in October and have now 
been transferred to Albuquerque Zoo in New Mexico. 


Full story at 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7750390.stm 
Subject: African Important Bird Areas get conservation toolkit
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:40:25 -0800 (PST)
African Important Bird Areas get conservation toolkit

24-11-2008

A toolkit that synthesises lessons learnt by the BirdLife Africa Partnership in 
the identification, monitoring and conservation of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) 
was recently launched. “This toolkit will be valuable, not only to the 
members of the BirdLife Partnership, but also to other practitioners interested 
in biodiversity conservation”, said Dr Hazell Shokellu Thompson, Regional 
Director for BirdLife in Africa. 


The IBA Programme identifies sites where biodiversity value outweighs the 
threats of ecologically damaging activities. “IBAs are a scientifically 
rigorous and easy to understand approach for ensuring that conservation efforts 
are targeted at the right places”, said Dr Leon Bennun BirdLife’s Director 
of Science, Policy and Information at a colourful ceremony in Buenos Aires, 
Argentina. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/africa_iba_toolkit.html
Subject: Bird cnservation on Syrian channel
From: Yousef Ali Alzaoby <DQRZ AT HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:15:41 +0200
Dear all
Tomorrow Tuesday 25 -11-2008 at Satellite Syrian channel time GMT 06.30 am I 
am talking about conservation of birds in Syria. 

Best
 A project for Recording the birds in Daraa & Sweida areas.Tel: +963944798034 
Tel&fax: +96315248387 E-mail: dqrz AT hotmail.com 

 Syria  Dara'a  Mousaifrh P.O.BOX \ 1 \Yousef Ali Alzaoby-Freelance bird 
guide 

Member of Global Owl Project   
_________________________________________________________________
Discover the new Windows Vista
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=windows+vista&mkt=en-US&form=QBRE

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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Subject: BirdLife volunteers receive prestigious prize
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:48:46 -0800 (PST)
BirdLife volunteers receive prestigious prize

21-11-2008

A group working to conserve the Kikuyu Escarpment forest Important Bird Area 
(IBA) in Kenya has won the prestigious Equator Prize for 2008. The Kijabe 
Environment Volunteers (KENVO) were chosen from 310 nominations and received 
the award at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, in Barcelona, Spain. 


Site Support Groups (SSGs) like KENVO are key to BirdLife's work and one of the 
most practical ways of achieving conservation by local communities. They work 
to protect the most threatened biodiversity sites, whilst ensuring benefits 
from the wise use of the natural resources. SSGs are valuable tools for the 
future, due to their intricate relationships with the wider community and to 
the resources within IBAs. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/kenvo_award.html
Subject: Switzerland publishes IBA inventory
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:54:04 -0800 (PST)
Switzerland publishes IBA inventory

19-11-2008

SVS (BirdLife in Switzerland) and the Swiss Ornithological Institute recently 
published ‘Important Bird Areas in Switzerland'. The book describes 31 
Important Bird Areas (IBAs) which are important for 29 bird species that meet 
the qualifying criteria. It will be distributed to decision-makers to help gain 
more protection for these key sites. 


The IBAs presented in the report cover 13% of Switzerland’s total area. 
Nearly half (48%) of the IBAs are located in the Alpine habitat which dominates 
Switzerland. Indeed, many bird species identified as important in the new 
publication are limited to the Eurasian alpine habitat. Three sites are in the 
Jura Mountains, two are in the cultivated landscapes of the Central Plateau, 
and 11 sites were selected for wintering waterbirds and are along the most 
important Swiss lakes and rivers. 


Full story at 
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/swiss_IBA_inventory.html 
Subject: RSPB urges swift action to restore threatened farmland birds
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:23:07 -0800 (PST)
RSPB urges swift action to restore threatened farmland birds

18-11-2008

The UK government has revealed that the populations of some iconic countryside 
birds fell last year to their lowest levels since 1970. The RSPB (BirdLife in 
UK) believes that following the removal of set-aside earlier this year, further 
declines in farmland birds are inevitable. The Society is urging the government 
to take swift action to restore the fortunes of these birds. 


The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently published 
data revealing further declines in the overall numbers of farmland birds across 
the UK. Analysis of the figures reveals that the collective population of 
farmland birds, including Grey Partridge Perdix perdix, Northern Lapwing 
Vanellus vanellus and European Turtle-dove Streptopelia turtur, has fallen to 
less than half of the level in 1970. 


Full story at 
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/farmland_birds_declining_UK.html 
Subject: Brazil pledges to help save seabirds
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:22:31 -0800 (PST)
Brazil pledges to help save seabirds

17-11-2008

Brazil has become the most recent country to formally ratify a major global 
seabird treaty. Endorsement of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses 
and Petrels (ACAP) means Brazil will take measures to reduce seabird bycatch 
within their waters. This will strengthen conservation action being undertaken 
around the world to save the 300,000 seabirds - including 100,000 albatrosses 
– killed in longline fisheries each year. 


All eight species of Albatross found in Brazilian waters are classified as 
Globally Threatened. “Species such as the Critically Endangered Tristan 
Albatross Diomedea dabbenena are disapearing fast because of incidental 
mortality in longline fisheries”, said Dr Euan Dunn, Head of Marine Policy 
RSPB (BirdLife in the UK). “Brazil joining ACAP throws a life-line to 
Globally Threatened seabirds”. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/brazil_acap.html
Subject: British company endangers wildlife paradise
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:43:58 -0800 (PST)
British company endangers wildlife paradise

14-11-2008

A British company wants to mine coal in the heart of one of South Africa’ 
most ecologically sensitive natural environments. Conservationists believe the 
prospecting rights obtained by Delta Mining, which is now majority owned by 
London Mining plc, is illegal and poses one of the most serious threats to the 
country’s natural heritage for decades. 


The extraction of coal from almost 200 km2 of the Wakkerstroom/Luneburg region, 
a vast area of wetlands and grassland east of Pretoria, would destroy habitats 
used by over 300 bird species including South Africa’s national bird, Blue 
Crane Grus paradisea (Vulnerable). 


Full story at 
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/wakkerstroom_mining.html 
Subject: Migratory birds bridge water, culture and religion
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:28:42 -0800 (PST)
Migratory birds bridge water, culture and religion

07-11-2008

The wonder of bird migration recently united two communities separated by 
water, culture and religion. At an event coorganised by the Society for the 
Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL; BirdLife in Lebanon), the people of 
Anjar and Kfar Zabad villages jointly celebrated the cultural importance of 
bird migration as part of BirdLife’s World Bird Festival. 


The event was held at the Bekaa wetlands and marked the announcement of Hima 
Anjar, which will strengthen the existing Hima Kfar Zabad. Hima is a 
traditional Islamic system under which communities manage natural areas and 
protect them from over-exploitation. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/lebanon_wbf.html
Subject: First Protected Area Established for Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaw
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:25:09 -0800 (PST)
First Protected Area Established for Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaw

10-11-2008

Asociacin Armona (BirdLife in Bolivia), with the support of American Bird 
Conservancy and World Land Trust-US, has created the world's first protected 
area for the Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaw Ara glaucogularis, a 
species with an estimated global population of 300 individuals. The group 
purchased a 3,555 hectare ranch in the grasslands of eastern Bolivia, a site 
with 20 Blue-throated Macaws during the breeding season. 


Blue-throated Macaw is endemic to savannas in the Beni province of Bolivia, and 
depends on motucu palms for nesting. These palms occur in palm "islands" 
embedded in the extensive seasonally-flooded grasslands. The entire known 
population of the species exists on private ranches which undergo yearly 
burning and heavy grazing by cattle. 


The new Barba Azul Nature Reserve also protects excellent Beni savanna habitat 
with good populations of Vulnerable species, such as Sharp-tailed Tyrant 
Culicivora caudacuta, Cock-tailed Tyrant Alectrurus tricolor, and Black-masked 
Finch Coryphaspiza melanotis. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/bolivian_reserve.html
Subject: International action to save Lesser White-fronted Goose
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:24:30 -0800 (PST)
International action to save Lesser White-fronted Goose

12-11-2008

A new plan will help stimulate international conservation to save the fastest 
declining species covered by the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement 
(AEWA). The ‘International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of 
the Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus [Vulnerable]’ provides a 
framework for coordinated international action across its extraordinary 
migratory route which spans Europe and parts of Asia. 


Adopted at the Fourth Meeting of the Parties to AEWA in Antananarivo, 
Madagascar, the plan sets the stage for strengthened cooperative conservation 
action between Eurasian countries in which this species regularly occurs. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/lwfg_action_plan.html
Subject: International agreement join-ups flyway conservation
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 18:18:03 -0800 (PST)
International agreement join-ups flyway conservation

03-11-2008

A new resolution has been agreed which recognises the importance of promoting 
international cooperation for the conservation of migratory waterbirds and 
their habitats. The resolution was passed today (3 November 2008) in South 
Korea at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar 
Convention on Wetlands. 


“Waterbird populations around the world are continuing to decline as a result 
of the loss and degradation of wetland habitats and their unsustainable 
exploitation”, said BirdLife’s Head of Conservation, Richard Grimmett. 
“This resolution recognises the crucial fact that conserving the world’s 
waterbirds is an international challenge. Only by working together along 
flyways can we effectively conserve our precious migratory birds”. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/ramsar_resolution.html
Subject: New directory finds almost half Caribbean IBAs lack protection
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 18:17:10 -0800 (PST)
New directory finds almost half Caribbean IBAs lack protection

03-11-2008

Of the 770 bird species occurring in the Caribbean, 148 are endemic, with 105 
confined to single islands. But only around 10% of the region’s original 
habitat remains, and 54 of the Caribbean’s bird species are globally 
threatened, of which 12 are Critically Endangered. 


BirdLife's newly-published Important Bird Areas of the Caribbean: key sites for 
conservation [1] is a milestone for the BirdLife Caribbean Programme, which 
began in 2001. BirdLife International and its Partners, and a range of other 
organisations, have identified, documented and mapped 283 internationally 
significant Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in the Caribbean. IBAs are key sites 
for the conservation of birds and biodiversity, and the building blocks for 
conservation planning. They are identified nationally, using data gathered 
locally and applying internationally agreed criteria. 


But this Caribbean network of key sites faces a large number of diverse 
threats, and among the book's most disturbing findings is that 43% are wholly 
outside formal protected areas. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/11/caribbean_ibas.html
Subject: Blind flamingo attacked at Australian zoo
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:15:56 -0700 (PDT)
Blind flamingo attacked at Australian zoo

By Bonnie Malkin in Sydney
Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 30/10/2008

A blind flamingo, believed to be among the oldest in the world, is recovering 
after a near-fatal attack by teenagers at an Australian zoo. 


The bird, which is thought to be 80 years old, was unable to stand after the 
attack by four youths at Adelaide Zoo. 


It was found to have serious beak damage, head injuries and was bleeding from 
the left eye when zookeepers sedated it for transfer to a nearby animal 
hospital. 


Four teens have been charged over the attack, which has outraged animal welfare 
groups. 


Full story at http://tinyurl.com/65s3h2
Subject: Report warns of shorebird extinctions
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:25:12 -0700 (PDT)
Report warns of shorebird extinctions

30-10-2008

A report presented in South Korea today outlines the country’s importance as 
a key refuelling stop for Globally Threatened migratory birds. It provides 
clear evidence that substantial declines are taking place in shorebirds 
populations in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, and that the world’s 
largest reclamation project could be driving Critically Endangered Spoon-billed 
Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus towards extinction. 


The joint Birds Korea / Australasian Wader Studies Group report entitled 
‘Saemangeum Shorebird Monitoring Program Report’ was presented in Changwon, 
South Korea today at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the 
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The Australasian Wader Studies Group is a 
Special Interest Group of Birds Australia (BirdLife in Australia). 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/10/saemangeum_report.html
Subject: Feathering the nests
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:57:12 -0700 (PDT)
Feathering the nests
Long-planned work will restore tern breeding grounds

MARION - The Bird Island tern restoration program seems finally to be on the 
horizon, even as the tiny circle of land, home to two types of protected sea 
birds, is slowly eroding. 


Nearly $4 million in federal and state funding has been almost 10 years in 
coming, and the start of the work is still some years away. But with the state 
sending a letter of support to the Army Corps of Engineers requesting the 
restoration move ahead, the project is finally on track, said Carolyn Mostello, 
tern project leader at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. 


Full story at 
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/30/feathering_the_nests/ 
Subject: Students giving wing to species
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:55:37 -0700 (PDT)
Students giving wing to species
Endangered Newell's shearwaters rescued on Kauai, nurtured, freed

By Diana Leone
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau

PO'IPU, Kaua'i — Students from two Kaua'i schools gave 11 Newell's shearwater 
birds a second chance at life as they were released one-by-one on a windy south 
side shoreline. 

Advertisement

The endangered birds released Tuesday in the second annual "Blessing of the 
Shearwater Birds" (E Ho'opomaika'i ia na Manu 'A'o) wobbled a bit on adolescent 
legs, as students carefully placed them atop a wooden release box, facing an 
incoming sea breeze. 


Fourth-graders from Island School whispered encouragements such as, "Come on, 
come on," or "I know he's ready." High school students from Ke Kula Ni'ihau o 
Kekaha took video and still photos and in their more restrained, teenage style 
watched for the liftoff. 


The students and the wildlife officials erupted with "Yeah!" and gentle 
applause as each bird flew out to sea. Teams of three students each had 
hand-carried the birds from carriers in the back of a pickup truck to the 
release box. 


Full story at http://tinyurl.com/5kfv8e
Subject: Irish birds in alarming decline
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:54:40 -0700 (PDT)
Irish birds in alarming decline

28-10-2008

A new report published by Birdwatch Ireland (BirdLife in Ireland) and RSPB 
(BirdLife in the UK) has identified alarming declines in a number of bird 
populations across the island of Ireland. 


Information on Ireland’s bird populations has been collected by both 
professional and amateur birdwatchers and 199 species were assessed. Bird 
species have been placed on either Red, Amber or Green Lists with the Red List 
containing those bird populations that have declined by over 50% or those that 
are globally threatened. The Irish Red List identifies 25 species which require 
urgent action to secure their future, this is seven more than in 1999, and the 
Amber list contains 85 species, the remaining 89 being on the Green list. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/10/bocc_ireland.html
Subject: Swans delay migration to stay in warmth of Siberia
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:50:40 -0700 (PDT)
Swans delay migration to stay in warmth of Siberia
Valerie Elliott, Countryside Editor

It is a winter habitation option that few would hesitate over: the Siberian 
tundra or the glorious Gloucestershire wetlands. 


But flocks of Bewick’s swans appear to have plumped for the former, prompting 
fears that their great migration might never be seen again. 


Concerns have been raised by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust centre at Slimbridge 
where hundreds of the swans would normally have arrived and be settling for the 
winter months after a summer in Siberia. None has been sighted, leading 
conservationists to suggest that climate change has made the Arctic so warm 
that they are happy to stay put. 


The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said that if temperatures 
continued to rise the birds might lose their “collective memory” of their 
winter home, denying Britain’s birdwatchers one of the year’s most 
impressive sights. About 8,100 swans usually winter in Britain. The majority, 
about 6,000, go to East Anglia, about 300 head for Slimbridge and others are 
seen on the Severn estuary, the Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire, and Martin Mere in 
Lancashire. 


Full story at 
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5026411.ece 
Subject: Costa Rica protects green macaw by banning logging of mountain almond tree
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:49:48 -0700 (PDT)
Costa Rica protects green macaw by banning logging of mountain almond tree
Andrew Rothman
October 27, 2008

Costa Rica's high court has prohibited the cutting of a certain species of 
tree, in part because a highly endangered type of parrot uses the tree almost 
exclusively for nesting. 


With one decision, the Sala IV constitutional court protected the mountain 
almond tree and the great green macaw, specifically in a sprawling area in 
northern Costa Rica. However, the court also ordered the Ministerio de Ambiente 
y Energa to spread the word to all its regional officials, thus protecting the 
tree throughout the country. The Sala IV also ordered the environmental courts 
to monitor compliance with the decision. 


Full story at http://news.mongabay.com/2008/1027-costa_rica.html
Subject: Illegal Mexican Parrot Trade Targeted by New Ban
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:21:55 -0700 (PDT)
Illegal Mexican Parrot Trade Targeted by New Ban
Alexis Okeowo in México City
for National Geographic News
October 2, 2008

A new permanent ban on parrot sales in Mexico may protect the country's exotic 
birds from a thriving illegal wildlife trade, conservationists say. 


Mexico considers half of its 22 parrot species endangered, and all but two are 
protected by federal law. 


But between 65,000 and 78,000 parrots and guacamayas—a bigger type of 
parrot—are captured illegally every year, and most of these birds die each 
year before reaching their intended buyers. 


The government has been unable to control the clandestine capture and sale of 
the protected birds, environmentalists say. 


The new ban—an amendment to Mexico's wildlife law—will eliminate the parrot 
and guacamaya market completely. 


The law will go into effect when it is published in the official congressional 
diary, possibly by the end of October. 


http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/0801002-parrot-trade.html
Subject: Cypriot mass bird poisoning blamed on poachers
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:20:32 -0700 (PDT)
Cypriot mass bird poisoning blamed on poachers

7 hours ago

NICOSIA (AFP) — Cyprus's game fund on Friday said an estimated 300 birds have 
been deliberately poisoned in an act of revenge against the state-run body for 
nabbing poachers. 


Officials said the culprits tainted the water system at release pens for chukar 
partridges that, ironically, are bred for the hunting season that starts next 
week. 


"The Game Fund is convinced this hideous crime is directly linked to illegal 
poaching cases filed by the service in recent days," said a game fund 
statement. 


"Unfortunately, some people are unable to realize that their actions hurt the 
ordinary hunter and not the service that has been the target of many criminal 
acts," it added. 


Full story at http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5joC13guaa-1sDptsMcO2El1bX82A
Subject: Rare bird rediscovered on 'most pristine' island in southeast Asia
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:17:45 -0700 (PDT)
Rare bird rediscovered on 'most pristine' island in southeast Asia
mongabay.com
October 23, 2008

Scientist have rediscovered the endangered Wetar Ground-dove (Gallicolumba 
hoedtii), one of the world's least known birds, 100 years after it was last 
seen on the remote Indonesian island of Wetar, reports Columbidae Conservation, 
a UK-based conservation group. 


Surveying the rugged, 3600-square-kilometer island for bird life, scientists 
working for Columbidae Conservation found Wetar Ground-dove to be locally 
abundant, recording the largest-ever documented gathering of the species of 
30-40 birds at a fig tree. The scientists also found the endangered Timor 
Imperial Pigeon (Ducula cineracea) to be locally abundant. In all, the 
expedition reported 39 new bird species for the island. 


Full story at http://news.mongabay.com/2008/1023-wetar.html
Subject: Migratory birds of prey to be protected by UN-backed agreement
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:16:51 -0700 (PDT)
Migratory birds of prey to be protected by UN-backed agreement

23 October 2008 – A new United Nations-backed agreement that aims to protect 
migratory birds of prey in Africa and Eurasia has been signed in Abu Dhabi in 
the United Arab Emirates by 28 countries and will enter into force at the end 
of next week. 


Working through the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Convention on Migratory 
Species (CMS), the governments of the United Kingdom and the United Arab 
Emirates have led the negotiations on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), 
resulting in the signatories yesterday. 


The new agreement area stretches across more than 130 countries from the 
African, Afrotropical, Palaearctic and Indo-Malayan realms and protects more 
than 70 species of migratory birds of prey including Falconiformes, ospreys, 
eagles and owls. 


More than 50 per cent of migratory birds of prey have poor conservation status 
as a result of habitat loss due to agriculture, forestry, industry and 
fisheries, collisions with power lines, hunting and trapping for falconry, 
according to a UNEP press release issued today. 


Full story at http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=28694&Cr=unep&Cr1=
Subject: Safer passage for migratory birds of prey
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:32:03 -0700 (PDT)
Safer passage for migratory birds of prey

22-10-2008

Strong international measures to protect over 70 species of migratory birds of 
prey and owls were agreed today in Adu Dhabi. The new measures will help to 
protect migratory raptors from threats such as habitat loss and degradation, 
persecution, accidental killing, and climate change. 


Following a joint initiative by the governments of the United Arab Emirates and 
United Kingdom, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been concluded that 
will coordinate the protection of migratory birds of prey and owls found in 
Europe, Africa and Asia. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/10/cms_mou2.html
Subject: Kokako return to the south
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:31:25 -0700 (PDT)
Kokako return to the south
Oct 22, 2008 8:09 PM

The haunting sound of the kokako could be heard again in the South Island after 
almost 50 years silence. 


Eight birds from the North Island have been shifted south to the sanctuary of 
Secretary Island in Fiordland and more are to follow. 


The South Island kokako are thought to be extinct but its North Island cousin 
has been managed from the brink of extinction. 


South Island kokako had a bright orange wattle while the North Islander's 
wattle is more subdued. 


Full story at http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/2223348
Subject: World's Rarest Cockatoo Rediscovered in Indonesia
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:29:40 -0700 (PDT)
World's Rarest Cockatoo Rediscovered in Indonesia

The world's rarest cockatoo has been found in Indonesia. A research team on 
behalf of the Indonesian Parrot Project rediscovered the Yellow-crested 
Abbott's cockatoo this summer in the Masalembu Archipelago. Ten cockatoos have 
been identified--four males, four females, and two juveniles--making them the 
most threatened cockatoo in the wild and one of the world's rarest birds. 


Pope Valley, CA (PRWEB) October 22, 2008 -- The world's rarest cockatoo has 
been found in Indonesia. A research team on behalf of the Indonesian Parrot 
Project rediscovered the Yellow-crested Abbott's cockatoo this summer in the 
Masalembu Archipelago. This archipelago is in the remote Java Sea, north of the 
cities of Surabaya and Bali, and east of southern Sumatra. 


Parrots are the most endangered bird family. A number of the parrots threatened 
with extinction are found only in Indonesia. Four of the five cockatoo species 
listed on the highest category of protection by the Convention on International 
Trade in Endangered Species are found in Indonesia. Of these, the 
Yellow-crested cockatoos (Cacatua sulphurea) are the most imperiled. This 
species contains four subspecies. Three of these are fairly well studied. 
However, one (C. sulphurea abbotti) has remained largely a mystery until now, 
but is known to be at great risk. 


Studies in the 1990's, which remain largely unpublished, found that only 5-10 
individuals remained on Masakambing. However, there are essentially no extant 
data since that time, and intervening extinction was a distinct possibility. 


Full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/rare/cockatoo/prweb1506694.htm
Subject: Palau publishes IBA directory
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:44:59 -0700 (PDT)
Palau publishes IBA directory

20-10-2008

The Palau Conservation Society (PCS, BirdLife in Palau) has recently published 
the book Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Palau. The Republic of Palau is a small 
island nation in the tropical western Pacific, and the westernmost island group 
in the sub-region known as Micronesia. 


The book, which describes the eight IBAs that have been identified by PCS and 
partners, will be distributed to decision-makers, traditional leaders, 
communities, land-owners and visitors. The identification of IBAs is expected 
to contribute to the on-going identification and management of protected areas 
in Palau. 


“The eight IBAs identified in the new book cover about 47% of Palau’s total 
land area. Two of these sites, the remote southwest islands of Fana and Helen, 
are significant for their congregations of seabirds, especially Great Crested 
Terns Sterna bergii and Black Noddies Anous minutus”, said Dr Elizabeth 
Matthews, PCS Chief Program Officer. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/10/palau_iba_book.html
Subject: Logging blamed for decline in already rare swift parrot
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:43:36 -0700 (PDT)
Logging blamed for decline in already rare swift parrot

Andrew Darby, Hobart
October 21, 2008

ONE of Australia's rarest and fastest birds, the swift parrot, seems to be 
plummeting in number, and logging has been blamed. 


Sightings of the flashy red and green parrot have declined sharply in its 
winter home of flowering eucalypt woodlands in Victoria and NSW, surveys show. 


Checks by 400 volunteers, conducted under a federal-state recovery plan for the 
bird, found that instead of improving, the number of sightings declined from 
2.5 per survey in 2000 to 0.5 last year. 


Full story at http://tinyurl.com/55qho8
Subject: Sanctuaries help protect lives of birds in Kuwait
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:08:39 -0700 (PDT)
Sanctuaries help protect lives of birds in Kuwait

Published Date: October 19, 2008
By Azza Aref, Staff writer



KUWAIT: Birds are beautiful creatures. It's a beautiful sight to watch their 
beautiful colorful plumes and listen to their lilting singing. In spring and 
summer birds feed on insects and spiders. During fall, migration and winter, 
they feed on fruits and seeds in order to survive. Since Kuwait is positioned 
on a cross-roads for several important migratory routes, the total bird count 
in the country stands significantly high; at around 363 species, which are 
usually seen in autumn and spring. There are many sanctuaries in Kuwait like 
the Jahra, Sulaibiya and the Kabd sanctuaries as well as in some of the islands 
around Kuwait. These sanctuaries help to protect the lives of many birds and 
listed below are some of species that you can see around the world. 


The Cinereous Bunting, is a bird from the bunting family. It breeds in southern 
Turkey and southern Iran, and winters around the Red Sea in northeast Africa 
and Yemen. Its length is about 16-17 centimeters, feeds on seeds and hunts for 
insects to feed its young. An adult male has a yellow head while the adult 
female's head is grey. The graceful Prinia is a small singing bird. This Prinia 
breeds in northeast Africa and southwest Asia from Egypt and east Somalia to 
north India. 


Full story at http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=ODY1NzY1MDcw
Subject: American seabirds thrown a lifeline
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:52:41 -0700 (PDT)
American seabirds thrown a lifeline

17-10-2008

President George W. Bush has presented The Agreement for the Conservation of 
Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) to the US Senate for approval. “I believe the 
Agreement to be fully in the U.S. interest”, wrote President Bush. 


ACAP is an international treaty between nations. “Its provisions advance the 
U.S. goals of protecting albatrosses and petrels. I recommend that the Senate 
give early and favorable consideration to the Agreement and give its advice and 
consent to accession”, stated President Bush. 


"Albatrosses and petrels are facing growing threats, but if we move quickly on 
the provisions contained in this treaty, they stand a chance for survival," 
said Betsy Loyless, Audubon's (BirdLife in America) Senior Vice President for 
Policy. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/10/USA_acap.html
Subject: Over 25 Irish bird species suffer alarming declines, says report
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:09:00 -0700 (PDT)
Over 25 Irish bird species suffer alarming declines, says report
DARA de FAOITE

MORE THAN 25 species of Irish birds have suffered "alarming declines in 
number", a report released yesterday has shown. 


Populations of Irish birds, including the barn owl, quail and nightjar, have 
dropped by more than 70 per cent in the last 10 years, the report reveals. 


Scientists also note that, for the first time on record, climate change has 
played a part in the depletion of bird populations migrating here. Figures from 
a report published by BirdWatch Ireland and RSPB Northern Ireland show that out 
of the 199 bird species that were assessed, 25 have been allocated to the "Red 
List", which names birds that require urgent action to secure their future. 


"This report confirms we must redouble our efforts to secure the future for 
many of our most threatened birds," Dr James Robinson from the RSPB said. 


Full story at 
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1016/1224069691193.html 
Subject: Malta protects Important Bird Areas under Natura 2000
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:08:10 -0700 (PDT)
Malta protects Important Bird Areas under Natura 2000

16-10-2008

On Sunday October 12 BirdLife Malta (BirdLife in Malta) congratulated the 
Maltese government on the recent declaration of protection areas in the Maltese 
islands under the European Natura 2000 network. 


“The government’s recent decision to fully protect all the eleven Important 
Bird Areas (as identified by BirdLife International) of the Maltese Islands as 
Special Protection Areas for birds as well as the important Ta’ Cenc habitat 
under the EU Natura 2000 network is an excellent move to safeguard Malta’s 
wildlife and will be beneficial for people and tourism. We congratulate all 
staff of the Maltese Environment & Planning Authority for all the hard work 
they put in to realizing these designations”, said Tolga Temuge, BirdLife 
Malta’s Executive Director. 


Full story at http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/10/malta_designation.html
Subject: Bird-a-thon bears Golden-cheeked fruit
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:15:54 -0700 (PDT)
Bird-a-thon bears Golden-cheeked fruit

15-10-2008

Biologists working for SalvaNATURA (BirdLife in El Salvador) have netted and 
ringed a young male Golden-cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia at the bird 
monitoring station at Montecristo National Park, northwestern El Salvador. 


SalvaNATURA has been monitoring birds at Montecristo each month for nearly four 
years, funded by money raised by the Bird-a-thon, a bird race organised to 
coincide with the World Bird Festival during October. 


"We had observed the species in the trees near the nets each winter", said 
Roselvy Jurez, the biologist who supervised the monitoring station. "We had 
been hoping to catch this species every year, but it took us 47 visits, more 
than 18,000 net hours, and we captured more than 1,700 birds of other species 
before this one flew into a net." 


Full story at 
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/10/golden_cheeked_warbler.html 
Subject: Rare Kauai bird making comeback
From: Jeremy Taylor <jeremyjtaylor AT yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:08:04 -0700 (PDT)
Rare Kauai bird making comeback

Endangered puaiohi has more than doubled in population since '94

 By Herbert A. Sample
Associated Press

Eighteen years ago, the puaiohi was a diminishing breed in the Alaka'i 
Wilderness Preserve, the 10,800-acre rain forest on Kaua'i. 


But the endangered, brown birds that can easily fit in the palm of an adult's 
hand are making a comeback with the assistance of scientists who are 
repopulating the preserve with a once-plentiful species. 


Yesterday marked the 11th time in the last decade that juvenile puaiohi have 
been introduced into the preserve, an effort that those guiding the project say 
is showing success. A total of 23 youngsters who were born and raised at the 
San Diego Zoo are to be let go in two groups over the next two weeks. 


"The superstars in this conservation effort have been the puaiohi themselves," 
said Alan Lieberman, the zoo's conservation program manager. 


Full story at http://tinyurl.com/3u5kcf