RSPB Takes Lead to Develop International Action Plan to Help Save the Eurasian Curlew

Sandy/Bonn, 15 May 2013 - A new conservation plan has been announced to help save the Eurasian Curlew. With its large appearance, long down-curved bill and evocative call, the curlew is one of the most easily recognised wading birds. However, it is also a wader in trouble - such serious declines have been recorded in recent decades that plans for an international action plan to save it have begun. Reasons behind the declines differ between countries, but include issues such as changes in farming practices, agricultural abandonment, increasing forestry in their open habitats and increasing numbers of their predators.

The Secretariat of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) today signed an agreement to compile an International Single Species Action Plan (SSAP) for the large wading bird, which was upgraded to Near Threatened by IUCN in 2008.

The partnership will work with governments and experts across its migratory range - which includes large parts of Europe, Russia, the Middle East and North Africa – to identify the issues affecting the 3 different sub-species of curlew, along with the actions needed to improve their conservation status.

“The curlew’s future is dependant upon ensuring that the key factors responsible for the declines of recent years are identified and plans put in place to alleviate them. This will likely include issues affecting the bird on its breeding and wintering grounds, as well as on migration and at important stopover sites. Curlews often travel hundreds of miles between their breeding and non-breeding sites, traversing international boundaries. ” said Dan Brown, Globally Threatened Species Officer at the RSPB and who will be taking the lead in coordinating the drafting of the plan.

Sergey Dereliev, Technical Officer at the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat, added: “It is critical that countries work together to develop a conservation plan which will help save the Eurasian Curlew. We will be working in close consultation with governments and experts over the coming months to develop the action plan. This will include a multi-stakeholder planning workshop in Wilhelmshaven, Germany in October 2013, following the International Wader Study Group Conference.”

To date, a total of 19 SSAPs for other threatened species of migratory waterbirds, including for the Sociable Lapwing, the Lesser Flamingo and the Lesser White-fronted Goose have been developed under AEWA.

The RSPB will be taking the lead in the development and coordination of the SSAP for the Eurasian Curlew. The RSPB is Europe's largest wildlife conservation charity - with more than a million members and nearly 20,000 volunteers – working to save threatened birds and wildlife across the UK and overseas. The RSPB is the UK Partner of BirdLife International - a global Partnership of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with a special focus on conservation and birds.

Find out more about the RSPB and their engagement for the Eurasian Curlew here.