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In cooperation with BirdLife International, AEWA is trying
to prevent the extinction of the Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus
gregarius) - one of the most threatened bird species.
This small migratory wader is one out of 189 bird species
that are part of the world’s most ambitious bird conservation
project launched by BirdLife International. The project
called “Preventing Extinctions: Saving the World’s
Most Threatened Birds” was launched in August 2007
and aims to save 189 bird species that are critically endangered.
This status describes species that have reached the highest
category of extinction risk on the IUCN Red List.
The project aims to find a “species
guardian” and “species champion” for each
of these threatened birds. The guardian will be a local
body that will work with BirdLife International to carry
out conservation measures. The species champion can be a
company, organisation or institution that is willing to
“adopt” a threatened bird and provide funding.
AEWA has been actively contributing to
the conservation of the Sociable Lapwing by developing an
International Species Action Plan followed by co-funding
of a coordinator to oversee and stimulate the implementation
of this Action Plan internationally. Therefore AEWA fully
endorses this BirdLife initiative hoping that the Sociable
Lapwing will benefit from the campaign.
Recently satellite transmitters have been
attached to three birds in their breeding areas in Kazakhstan.
It is hoped that these birds will disclose the species’
mysterious migration routes and wintering grounds. Last
year more than 1,500 Sociable Lapwings were seen in Syria
and Turkey. There is an urgent need for further surveys
in Syria and Turkey, to identify the sites used by Sociable
Lapwings and to determine what the main threats are. It
is also necessary to organise rapid checks at new sites
revealed by the satellite tracking and more birds need to
be tagged with transmitters.
For this
purpose AEWA urgently requires funds amounting to €10,000
or more to help send a team to carry out these surveys.
For further information please contact:
Mr. Sergey Dereliev
Technical Officer
UNEP/AEWA
Tel.: +49 (0)228 815 2415
Fax: +49 (0)228 815 2450
Email: sdereliev@unep.de
and visit
http://www.birdlife.org/action/campaigns/species_champions/index.html
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