The International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Maccoa Duck (Oxyura maccoa) - gives an overview of the current status of the main populations of the Maccoa Duck remaining in Africa and identifies ways to better conserve them at both national and international level.

Overall, the report shows that the conservation status of the Maccoa Duck is worse than previously understood and that more research and conservation actions are required to quantify the conservation risks. While the revised estimate of the total population presented in this report amounts to 9000-11750 birds and the southern population (Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Lesotho) has now stabilised, the report also warns that the northern population (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Eritrea) is in rapid decline.

The Single Species Action Plan for the Maccoa Duck was commissioned by AEWA to the African Gamebird Research Education and Development Trust (AGRED), which also co-funded this project. This Action Plan was compiled by a team of experts under the general leadership of Dr. Aldo Berruti; the drafts of the plan went through rigorous consultations and include comments received from a large number of experts, governmental officials from the range states, as well as from the AEWA Technical Committee.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded here as a pdf-document. (1,4 MB)

The Report, prepared by Wetlands International on the Conservation Status of Migratory Waterbirds in the Agreement Area gives an overview of the current status of migratory waterbirds in the African-Eurasian region. It includes information on the size of the various populations, their breeding ranges, wintering distributions and migration routes, and the long-term trends in their population levels.

The report shows estimates for 98% of the populations covered by the Agreement (509 out of 521), but also warns that the quality of many of these estimates remain low. Population trend information is now available for 364 out of the 521 populations covered, which unfortunately reveal that nearly twice as many populations show decreasing rather than increasing trends. The trends in Asia show the most alarming numbers, five times as many populations in Asia are decreasing (55%) as those increasing (11%).

Overall, the report reveals that the trend status of waterbirds in the Agreement area worsened between 1999 and 2006, which together with the figures for Asia underlines the need for all countries along the birds flyways to increase efforts to conserve waterbirds and their critical habitats in and beyond the AEWA Agreement area.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded here as a pdf-document. (1,4 MB)

In Article III of the Agreement the Parties agree to "prohibit the deliberate introduction of non-native waterbird species into the environment and [to] take all appropriate measures to prevent the unintentional release of such species if this introduction of release would prejudice the conservation status of wild flora and fauna; when non-native waterbird species have already been introduced the, the Parties shall take all appropriate measures to prevent these species from becoming a potential threat to indigenous species." These Guidelines on Avoidance of Introductions of Non-native Waterbird Species were listed as one of 33 priorities in the International Implementation Priorities 2000-2004. After the adoption of the IIP by MOP1 (Cape Town, South Africa, October 1999) via Resolution 1.4 the British Trust for Ornithology, with financial support of the United Kingdom, reviewed the status of introduced migratory waterbird species in the Agreement area. By the end of 2001 a grant was received from the United Kingdom that enabled the Secretariat to contract the work on drafting these Guidelines out to JUST ECOLOGY (UK). The draft Guidelines were finally revised by the Working Group on Technical Matters during MOP2 (Bonn, Germany, September 2002) and adopted via Resolution 2.3.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded here as a pdf-document. (1,4 MB)

This International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Light-bellied Brent Goose (East Canadian High Arctic population) Branta bernicla hrota was commissioned to the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. It has been compiled by James Robinson currently of RSPB (UK) and Kendrew Colhoun of WWT (UK). The drafts of the plan went through rigorous consultations and in the final approved version are reflected comments received from a number of experts, governmental officials from the range states, the AEWA Technical Committee. Financial support for the preparation of this Action Plan was provided by the National Parks & Wildlife Service (Dublin), the Environement & Heritage Service (Belfast), and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT). The Action Plan follows the format for Single Species Action Plans approved by the AEWA 2nd Meeting of Parties in September 2002.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded here as a pdf-document. (1,3 MB)

This International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita was commissioned to SEO/BirdLife of Spain. It has been compiled by Maria Jose Jimenez Armesto of SEO/BirdLife, Christiane Boehm (Alpenzoo Innsbruck, Austria) and Chris Bowden (RSPB, UK) in close cooperation with the International Advisory Group on the Northern Bald Ibis (IAGNBI). The drafts of the plan went through rigorous consultations, and the final approved version reflects comments received from a number of experts, governmental officials from the range states, and the AEWA Technical Committee. Financial support for the preparation of this Action Plan was provided by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA). The Action Plan follows the format for Single Species Action Plans approved by the AEWA 2nd Meeting of Parties in September 2002.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded here as a pdf-document(1,3 MB).

This International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Corncrake Crex crex was commissioned to BirdLife International. It has been compiled by Kees Koffijberg of SOVON (The Netherlands) and Norbert Schaffer of RSPB (UK). The drafts of the plan went through rigorous consultations, and the final approved version reflects comments received from a large number of experts, the EU Member States through the Ornis Committee, governmental officials from states outside of the EU, and the AEWA Technical Committee. Financial support for the preparation of this Action Plan was provided by the European Commission (EC), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA). The Action Plan follows the format for Single Species Action Plans approved by the AEWA 2nd Meeting of Parties in September 2002.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded here as a pdf-document. (1,4 MB)

This International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala was commissioned to BirdLife International. It has been compiled by Baz Hughes of WWT (UK), James Robinson of RSPB (UK), Andy Green of Doñana Biological Station (Spain), David Li and Taej Mundkur of Wetlands International. The drafts of the plan went through rigorous consultations and the final approved version reflects comments received from a large number of experts, the EU Member States through the Ornis Committee, governmental officials from states outside of the EU, the AEWA Technical Committee. Financial support for the preparation of this Action Plan was provided by the European Commission (EC), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA). The Action Plan follows the format for Single Species Action Plans approved by the AEWA 2nd Meeting of Parties in September 2002.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded here as a pdf-document. (1,7 MB)

This International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca was commissioned to BirdLife International. It has been compiled by James Robinson currently of RSPB (UK) and Baz Hughes of WWT (UK). An action-planning workshop was organised by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria. The drafts of the plan went through rigorous consultations and in the final approved version are reflected comments received from a large number of experts, governmental officials from the range states, the AEWA Technical Committee. Financial support for the preparation of this Action Plan was provided by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA). The Action Plan follows the format for Single Species Action Plans approved by the AEWA 2nd Meeting of Parties in September 2002.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded here as a pdf-document. (1,7 MB)

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This International Action Plan for the Great Snipe Gallinago media was commissioned by BirdLife International. It has been compiled by John Atle Kålås, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, and is based on a workshop held in Tartu, Estonia from 22-23 February 2002, and on comments given by ORNIS committee members for range states in the EU, by the Bern Convention, government officials outside EU, BirdLife partners and a number of other people who have kindly shared their knowledge with us (see Annex III). We would also like to mention the importance of the support given by OMPO for the development of knowledge about the Great Snipe in Lithuania, Estonia and Belarus during the last five years. Financial support for the preparation of this Action Plan was given by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA). The content and structure of this document is based on guidelines given by BirdLife International, and the Dark-Bellied Brent Goose Action Plan developed in 2000 has been used as a model.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded as a pdf-document. (1,3 MB)

This International Action Plan for the Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni was commissioned by the Secretariat of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the European Division of BirdLife International, and was prepared by the Russian Bird Conservation Union (BirdLife International Partner Designate in Russia). The first draft was sent out to experts on the species and its conservation, and then discussed on 3 March 2002 at the Workshop on the Black-winged Pratincole held in Moscow. All comments and suggestions, as well as outputs from the workshop, were incorporated into the second draft of the Action Plan, also distributed to all contributors. This version is the final output of all the above consultations.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded as a pdf-document. (1,2 MB)

Why switch from lead shot to non-toxic shot? Why give up a traditionally used, well-known, cheap and high quality shot type in favour of anything else? Why go through all the trouble of educating and/ or raising awareness amongst hunters, producing new shot types, and changing legislation all over the world? These questions are straightforward and understandable. And so is their answer: a switch to non-toxic shot is necessary to preserve waterbirds and their habitats for the future. Not only for nature conservationists, but naturally also for hunters themselves. In our modern world, where there is a constant competition between environmental and human demands, there is no other solution than to use natural resources sustainably. In the light of this, there is no other way than to abandon the use of lead shot when hunting waterbirds in wetlands.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded as a pdf-file (engl) (650 KB) pdf-file (français).(650 KB)

This International Single Species Action Plan for the Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius was commissioned by the Secretariat of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the European Division of BirdLife International, and was prepared by the Russian Bird Conservation Union (BirdLife International Partner Designate in Russia). The first draft was sent out to experts on the species and its conservation, and then discussed on 2 March 2002 at a Workshop on the Sociable Lapwing held in Moscow. All comments and suggestions, as well as outputs from the workshop, were incorporated into the second draft of the Action Plan, also distributed to all contributors. This version is the final output of all the above consultations.

A copy of this document can be ordered free of charge from the Secretariat or downloaded as a pdf-document. (1,2 MB)