Birdlife International 18/12/12

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BirdLife International 18/12/12

Conservation of Migratory Birds project: scientific review of migratory birds, their key sites and habitats in West Africa

October 2013

Prepared by

Rob Martin, Samantha Cartwright, Tris Allinson, Vicky Jones and Lincoln Fishpool BirdLife International

Acknowledgements: We would like to thank sincerely all those who reviewed earlier drafts of the report, especially Ali Stattersfield, Geoffroy Citegetse, Paul Robinson and Tim Dodman. We would also like to thank the MAVA Foundation for their generous support of the project.

Recommended citation: BirdLife International (2013) Conservation of Migratory Birds project: scientific review of migratory birds, their key sites and habitats in West Africa. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.

BirdLife International Wellbrook Court Girton Road Cambridge CB3 0NA UNITED KINGDOM

T: +44 (0)1223 277 318 F: +44 (0)1223 277 200 E: birdlife @ birdlife.org

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Summary ...... 5

Scope of the report ...... 6

Context within the Conservation of Migratory Birds (CMB) project ...... 6

Geographic scope ...... 6

Species coverage ...... 7

Main sources of data ...... 7

Overview of West African migrant species ...... 9

Migratory species ...... 9

Threat status ...... 10

Extinction risk: proportion of species in different IUCN Red List categories ...... 10

Red List Index for project species ...... 14

Population trends for project species ...... 16

Key habitats ...... 20

Major threats ...... 21

Overview of sites known to be significant for West African migrants ...... 23

Sites identified as significant in the Project Region...... 23

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas ...... 23

Location of IBAs identified in project region ...... 24

Critical Sites for waterbirds in West Africa ...... 27

Top Ten Waterbird Species by percentage of global population ...... 30

Critical Sites for the Top Ten Waterbird Species ...... 30

Top ten Critical Sites ...... 35

Critical Site use by the top ten waterbird species ...... 37

IBA Status ...... 39

IBA monitoring ...... 39

Status of IBA monitoring in the Project Region ...... 39

Protection status of project IBAs ...... 41

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Sites potentially important for West African migrants ...... 42

Gap sites identified through the WOW project...... 42

Sites identified as potentially important through literature review ...... 44

New sites potentially meeting IBA Criteria:...... 45

Sites possibly no longer meeting IBA Criteria:...... 46

Sites which may merit recognition for additional trigger species: ...... 46

Marine extensions to IBAs ...... 48

IBA criteria updates based on Red List changes ...... 49

Species conclusions ...... 51

Site conclusions ...... 53

Regional recommendations...... 54

Annexes ...... 55

References ...... 55

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Conservation of Migratory Birds project: scientific review of migratory birds, their key sites and habitats in West Africa

Summary

Data relating to migratory birds in the West Africa region are reviewed within the framework of the Conservation of Migratory Birds project. Using data held in the World Bird Database and in the Critical Sites Network (CSN) Tool, lists of priority species are identified, determined by the proportions of the global populations that may occur in the project region at any one time. Thus, 21 globally threatened or Near Threatened species occur in the region, ten of which are identified as being of particular concern due to the proportions of their populations in the region. One of these is Endangered (Eqyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus), three are Vulnerable (Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola, Beaudouin’s Snake-eagle Circaetus beaudouini and Black Crowned-crane Balearica pavonina) and the remaining six Near Threatened (Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus, Denham’s Bustard Neotis denhami, Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, African Skimmer Rhynchops flavirostris and European Roller Coracias garrulus). The region is of exceptional importance for Aquatic Warbler, since the great majority of the global population winters here. The top ten congregatory waterbird species, measured by the percentage of their global population that may occur in the region, are Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica (up to 63% of the global population), Royal Tern Sterna maxima (54%), Red Knot Calidris canutus (51%), Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus (39%), Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus (38%), Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea (36%), Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia (33%), Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula (23%), Garganey Anas querquedula (19%) and Caspian Tern Sterna caspia (19%).

A total of 46 Critical Sites for migratory waterbirds in the region are identified, 43 of which are recognised as Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). The ten sites holding the greatest numbers of migrant waterbirds are the Banc d’Arguin (Mauritania), the Arquipélago dos Bijagós (Guinea-Bissau), the Delta du Saloum (Senegal), Djoudj wetlands (Senegal)—which is also critically important for wintering populations of Aquatic Warbler—Aftout es Sâheli (Mauritania), Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo (Guinea-Bissau), Diawling National Park (Mauritania), Gâat Mahmoûdé (Mauritania), Tanji River (Karinti) Bird Reserve (Gambia) and the Rio Mansôa and Gêba estuary (Guinea-Bissau).

In all, there are 88 IBAs in the region which qualify for migrant birds. Of these, 47% are assessed as having little or no formal protection. Although adequate monitoring data for the majority of these sites are lacking, more than half of the IBAs that have been assessed are experiencing medium or high levels of pressure, which emphasises the urgent requirement for more complete and up-to-date information. In addition, more information is needed for 12 potential ‘gap’ sites, identified through the Wings Over Wetlands project, which are not currently recognised IBAs but may be found to qualify. Additionally, 11 IBAs were highlighted as potentially being of greater significance than currently recognised but which lack the required information. Fourteen Marine IBAs proposed in the region are listed. Changes to qualifying criteria for the region’s IBAs are also listed, though further work is required to complete these proposed updates for all countries except Senegal.

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Scope of the report

Context within the Conservation of Migratory Birds (CMB) project This report contributes to Output 1 of the CMB project’s logical framework: Improved knowledge of conservation and actions. It aims to synthesise outputs 1.1a (Scientific review and synthesis report of migratory bird status), 1.2a (Review IBAs and identify new IBAs), 1.2c (Regional IBA report) and 1.3a (A synthesis report of key habitats and sites).

Geographic scope West Africa or Western Africa, here following the limits defined by Borrow and Demey (2001), comprises the 23 countries south of the Sahara, from Mauritania in the northwest, to Chad and the Central African Republic in the east, and Congo-Brazzaville in the southeast, including the Cape Verde and Gulf of Guinea islands. The CMB project focuses on the West African coastal zone covering the countries of Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone (Fig.1). This area is hereafter called the Project Region in order to distinguish it from the larger geopolitical region of West Africa. Although Mauritania north of the Sahara is generally considered part of the Western Palearctic, not West Africa, in this report the country has been included in its entirety.

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Figure 1 Geographic scope of this review, which includes seven nations in West Africa.

Species coverage The project species list (see Annex 1 for full list) includes all regularly occurring species within the seven project countries that have at least some regional populations that are either fully migratory or undertake significant seasonal movements. Information on occurrence and migratory status within the region comes from the IUCN Species Information Service (SIS), the BirdLife World Bird Database (WBDB), a number of key references, including Borrow and Demey (2001, 2004, 2010, 2011), and consultation with regional experts.

Many species have complex migratory strategies with allopatric populations often exhibiting different migratory behaviours. For example, some species, such as Purple Heron Ardea purpurea and Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, whose populations are fully migratory within continental Africa, have distinct, sedentary populations on Cape Verde. Such non-migratory populations of otherwise migratory species have been excluded from this study.

In many instances, partly sympatric populations of the same species exhibit different migratory strategies. For example, in winter, populations of the migratory nominate race of Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia from the Palearctic occur alongside the resident balsaci in Mauritania. In these cases, it is not possible, or perhaps even desirable, to distinguish between sedentary and migratory populations and the various analyses presented in this report make no attempt to do so.

The only consistent population-level monitoring of bird species within the project region is Wetlands International’s International Waterbird Census. Consequently, sections of this review investigating relative importance of the region for migratory species primarily focus on information derived from these data and hence focus on waterbird species. The scope for detailed analysis of non-waterbird species is limited, and while there is consideration of the importance of the region for certain other species (in particular Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola) this is restricted to the data held by BirdLife International and from expert opinion.

Main sources of data This review uses BirdLife International’s data which are held in the IUCN Species Information Service (SIS) and the BirdLife World Bird Database (WBDB). These databases are regularly updated and revised through processes coordinated by BirdLife International. The data included were accessed from the databases between October and November 2012. In relation to its role as IUCN Red List Authority for birds, BirdLife data often relate to the status of bird species at the global level. As a result, some information provided may not relate solely to the region under review.

Additional data on migratory waterbirds and their Critical Sites in the project region were obtained from the Critical Site Network (CSN) Tool1. This tool, developed through the collaborative Wings Over Wetlands project2, holds 2010 data from the WBDB and also from Wetlands International’s International Waterbird

1 http://csntool.wingsoverwetlands.org/csn/default.html 2 http://www.wingsoverwetlands.org/

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Census and identifies, at the population level, the Critical Sites for waterbirds in the African-Eurasian region.

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Overview of West African migrant species

Migratory species

There are several definitions of a migratory bird species (e.g. Boere and Stroud 2006; Kirby et al. 2008), but that used by BirdLife International is that a substantial proportion of the global or regional population makes regular cyclical movements beyond the breeding range, with predictable timing and destinations. This makes no mention of the crossing of national jurisdictional boundaries and so can include movements occurring within the same country. Within this definition there are various and overlapping strategies employed by different individuals, populations and species.

The project region is of significance for a number of species that display an archetypal north-south migration pattern. 184 project species are classified by origin as Palearctic or Nearctic migrants, of which 178 are considered to use the region as a wintering location. About half (90 species) are waterbirds, including shorebirds such as Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica, Red Knot Calidris canutus and Dunlin Calidris alpina, waterfowl such as Garganey Anas querquedula and Pintail Anas acuta and wading birds such as Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus and Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia. These breed in temperate, boreal or Arctic biomes and make long-distance movements to the Afrotropical region, including the intertidal areas of West Africa. Some of these continue beyond the project region, with significant numbers of many of the shorebirds continuing to Southern Africa.

All of the Palearctic breeding waterbirds are comparatively well monitored throughout their ranges and are consequently the primary focus of this project. Even within these species there is considerable variation in migratory strategy. In many cases there are examples of leapfrog migration, whereby a proportion of a migratory species’ population breeding at more northerly latitudes migrates further south than a proportion breeding in more temperate latitudes (Elphick 2007). Certain species have been shown to employ a ‘loop migration’, such as Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea, where a proportion of the population utilises a more westerly autumn migration route before returning in Spring along a more direct, easterly route (Wilson et al. 1980).

Generally there are far fewer species that show the opposite latitudinal migration pattern, i.e. breeding in the south and moving north in their non-breeding season. In the project region only 5 species are classified as these Southern Hemisphere migrants and all are strict marine species, including Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus and Southern Skua Stercorarius antarcticus.

The group of intra-African migrants totals 134 species. This is a very diverse group incorporating species that make significant movements between different parts of Africa between breeding and non-breeding seasons, those that respond to local conditions such as by seasonal expansions and contractions of range determined by seasonal rainfall patterns and others that are nomadic over large areas. 53 of this group of species are waterbirds, including: Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor, which may make nomadic movements in response to drought conditions; Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis, which makes annual movements following seasonal rainfall patterns; Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus, known to make long distance migrations to and from East Africa; and African Skimmer Rhynchops flavirostris which moves in response to the height and turbulence of water courses, but may also make regular movements 9

BirdLife International 18/12/12 along the coast. A small number (7) are strict marine species including Fea’s Petrel Pterodroma feae and White-faced Storm-petrel Pelagadroma marina. The remaining 74 are landbirds and differ largely in the extent of their movements, rather than the type. For example, Abyssinian Roller Coracius abyssinicus is a breeding visitor present during the wet season which moves south during the dry season, while African Swallow-tailed Kite Chelictinia riocourii moves in response to rainfall but remains within the region all year. A good number of species make only fairly limited or poorly understood movements, but which may be considered nomadic, such as Sudan Golden Sparrow Passer luteus or Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagle Circaetus beaudouini. A few species in this category, including Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti, are effectively Palearctic breeding migrants that winter in the region, but whose breeding range is limited to North Africa.

Threat status

Extinction risk: proportion of species in different IUCN Red List categories The IUCN Red List is widely recognised as the most authoritative and objective system for classifying species by their risk of extinction (Regan et al. 2005, de Grammont and Cuarón 2006, Rodrigues et al. 2006). It uses quantitative criteria, based on population size, rate of decline and area of distribution, to assign species to categories of relative extinction risk (IUCN 2001). The assessments are not simply based on expert opinion; they must be supported with detailed documentation of the best available data, with justifications, sources, and estimates of uncertainty and data quality (IUCN 2008). Red List Authorities are appointed to organise independent scientific review and to ensure consistent categorisation between species, groups, and assessments.

BirdLife International is the official IUCN Red List Authority for birds. Updates to the Red List are made annually, with complete assessments of all recognised species conducted every four years. Since the first comprehensive global assessment in 1988, there have been six full assessments, most recently in 2012.

Of the 326 project species, 24 (7%) are classified as globally threatened or Near Threatened. Of these, one species—Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita—is considered Critically Endangered, two species are Endangered, four are Vulnerable and the remaining 17 species are Near Threatened (see Fig. 2 and Table 1). There are 302 species (93%) classified as Least Concern.

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Figure 2 IUCN Red List status for project species.

Although species at risk of global extinction are a major focus for conservation, several of the globally threatened and Near Threatened species identified for the project region have only a marginal and sporadic presence within West Africa and may not necessarily constitute key conservation priorities for this project. While the Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita population in NW Africa (Morocco) is of exceptional global importance for the future of the species, it is now only a very irregular visitor to the project region and would only become a priority species should the species begin to occur more regularly. Similarly, Black- winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni, Damara Tern Sterna balaenarum, and Red Kite Milvus milvus are only rare and irregular vagrants to the area, whilst Saker Falcon Falco cherrug, Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris, Great Snipe Gallinago media, Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor and Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus occur in numbers that represent only a very small fraction (<1%) of their global population. The seabirds listed here (breeding Cape Verde Shearwater Calonectris edwardsii and Fea’s Petrel Pterodroma feae and Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus on passage) are better addressed through targeted marine programmes.

The remaining globally threatened or Near Threatened species are those that may occur in important numbers within the project region for at least a part of their annual cycle. These are Eqyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (EN), Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle Circaetus beaudouini (VU), Black Crowned-crane Balearica pavonina (VU), Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola (VU), Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus (NT), Denham’s Bustard Neotis denhami (NT), Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa (NT), Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata (ET), African Skimmer Rhyncops flavirostris (NT) and European Roller Coracias garrulus (NT).

Table 1 Globally threatened and Near Threatened project species on the IUCN Red List.

Geronticus eremita Northern Bald Ibis CR Neophron percnopterus Egyptian Vulture EN Falco cherrug Saker Falcon EN Marmaronetta angustirostris Marbled Teal VU Circaetus beaudouini Beaudouin's Snake-eagle VU Balearica pavonina Black Crowned-crane VU Acrocephalus paludicola Aquatic Warbler VU Aythya nyroca Ferruginous Duck NT Pterodroma feae Fea's Petrel NT 11

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Calonectris edwardsii Cape Verde Shearwater NT Puffinus griseus Sooty Shearwater NT Phoeniconaias minor Lesser Flamingo NT Falco vespertinus Red-footed Falcon NT Milvus milvus Red Kite NT Circus macrourus Pallid Harrier NT Neotis denhami Denham's Bustard NT Gallinago media Great Snipe NT Limosa limosa Black-tailed Godwit NT Numenius arquata Eurasian Curlew NT Glareola nordmanni Black-winged Pratincole NT Larus audouinii Audouin's Gull NT Sterna balaenarum Damara Tern NT Rynchops flavirostris African Skimmer NT Coracias garrulous European Roller NT

Egyptian Vulture Both resident and migratory populations of Egyptian Vulture occur in the project region, and the species has been declining globally in the past two decades leading to the species being uplisted to Endangered in 2007 (BirdLife International 2013). The migratory population wintering in West Africa breeds in Spain and northern Africa and is thought to outnumber the resident population in the Sahel (BirdLife International 2013). This population has declined by over 50% in the last three generations (BirdLife International 2004). Recent steep declines have occurred in India and are thought to be related to the use of non-steroidal anti- inflammatory vetinary drugs (NSAIDs) (such as diclophenac) in livestock (Cuthbert et al. 2006). These drugs may now be available in parts of the project region following reports of aggressive marketing in other regions of Africa (BirdLife International 2013). Poisoning through feeding on carcasses laced with other substances is another source of mortality, as is collision with electricity lines and pylons (BirdLife International 2013).

Aquatic Warbler The majority of the world’s Aquatic Warblers winter within or pass through the project region. The Djoudj wetlands in Senegal was the first identified wintering location in 2007, and this one site may support over 5,000 individuals (Bargain et al. 2008, Flade et al. 2011). Further wintering birds have been found in Mauritania along with additional birds outside the region in Mali (BirdLife International 2013). Agricultural cultivation and irrigation (creation of rice and sugar cane plantations), drought, wetland drainage, intensive grazing, succession to scrub, desertification and salinisation of irrigated soils are potential threats (Aquatic Warbler Conservation Team 1999, M. Flade and L. Lachmann in litt. 2007).

Beaudouin’s Snake-eagle Beaudouin’s Snake-eagle occurs at low densities throughout the Sahelian region, making poorly- understood movements in response to rain. The species is thought to have declined in the last two decades, based on road transect surveys (Thiollay 2006) though there is no specific information from the Project Region.

Black-crowned Crane

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The majority of the population of this congregatory waterbird occurs outside of the region, however there could be up to 4,100 individuals or 8% of the global population present during the winter (P. Robinson in litt. 2013). Identified regional threats to the species include birds being taken for the live bird trade and the effects of bio-accumulation of toxins from indiscriminate use of pesticides (BirdLife International 2013).

Pallid Harrier The majority of Pallid Harriers do not occur in the region, though there is little information on the actual numbers of wintering individuals that migrate as far as West Africa. However, numbers in West Africa are reported to have declined significantly between the 1970s and the 2000s (Thiollay 2006), coinciding with a period of deforestation, overgrazing, large increase in pesticide use and overhunting (Sanderson et al. 2006).

Denham’s Bustard Considered to be declining across its range this species is threatened particularly by hunting (Newby 1990, Collar 1996), as well as by overgrazing and conversion of grassland to agriculture (Collar 1996). Little is known about the population in the region but it is described as ‘scarce to locally not uncommon’ in Borrow and Demey (2001), and a rare visitor during the rainy season in South Mauritania, breeding in Senegal south of 14 degrees N (Isenman et al. 2010).

Black-tailed Godwit This species was uplisted to Near Threatened in 2004 as a result of an apparent decline of around 25% since 1990 (BirdLife International 2013). Data from the Critical Sites Network (CSN) indicates that 2.8% of the global population winters in the region. A large proportion of the West Europe/NW & W Africa wintering population is assumed to be somewhere within the Project Region between late July and January/early February but is still unaccounted for by counts (P. Robinson in litt. 2013). Significant numbers have been recorded at three additional sites during September-December 2012: Khor mudflats; Lac Mbaouane and Palmarin (P. Robinson in litt. 2013). However very large numbers are recorded from the Lake Chad area and there appears to have been a shift towards wintering further to the north of the region (BirdLife International 2013, Masero et al. 2011). The species is widely hunted on its wintering grounds in the Project Region, for example in Senegal it is hunted as it is considered a pest on rice grains when first sown, in both Casamance and the Senegal River Delta (P. Robinson in litt. 2013).

Eurasian Curlew From the CSN data 3.2% of the global population of Eurasian Curlew winters in the Project Region at Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania, and Arquipélago dos Bijagós, Guinea-Bissau. The species is declining worldwide, estimated at a rate of between 20-30% over three generations (BirdLife International 2013). Threats are largely considered to be operating on the breeding populations outside of the region, but disturbance, pollution and conversion of intertidal areas are still significant potential threats to sites within the Project Region (BirdLife International 2013).

African Skimmer Occurring along large rivers and dependent on large sandbanks for breeding, this species has a moderately small population (BirdLife International 2013). African Skimmer can form significant flocks in the non- breeding season, when they disperse along the coast. The Project Region is likely to be of significance though there is little data on numbers in the Project countries, and none were apparently recorded from the region in the 2000-2001 African Waterbird Census (Dodman and Diagana 2003). Dam-building can

BirdLife International 18/12/12 make large areas of habitat unsuitable for the species through reducing flows, and egg-collection, hunting and disturbance may be major threats to the species (BirdLife International 2013).

European Roller Globally, European Roller is considered to have declined by 20-30% over the last three generations (BirdLife International 2013). Very little information exists about the population status of the species in the Project Region, where it is an uncommon winter visitor to a relatively narrow belt from southern Mauritania to the Gambia (Borrow and Demey 2001). Threats may include the use of pesticides reducing prey availability and overgrazing, and hunting is a threat elsewhere in the species range.

In addition to considering these species based solely on a global assessment of endangerment, further priority species are those for which this region is of particular significance in terms of the proportion of the global population which it supports. Amongst these species, those with declining population trends might merit particular attention.

Red List Index for project species The Red List Index (RLI) has been developed as an indicator of trends in the status of biodiversity. It illustrates the rate of biodiversity loss in terms of the rate that species are slipping towards (or away from) extinction. The index is based on the number of species in different categories of extinction risk on the IUCN Red List and the movement of species between categories owing to genuine improvements or deteriorations in status (Butchart et al. 2004, 2005, 2007). The RLI integrates the net impacts of species improving in status and being downlisted to lower categories of threat (usually a consequence of conservation interventions) and those deteriorating in status and being uplisted to higher categories of threat (owing to increasing threats and declining populations / ranges).

RLI values relate to the proportion of species expected to remain extant in the near future without additional conservation action. A RLI value of 1.0 equates to all species being categorised as Least Concern, and hence that none is expected to go extinct in the near future (see Annex 3 for full methodology). A RLI value of zero indicates that all species have gone Extinct. A downward trend in the graph line (i.e. decreasing RLI values) means that the expected rate of species extinctions is increasing, i.e. that the rate of biodiversity loss is increasing. A horizontal graph line (i.e. unchanging RLI values) means that the expected rate of species extinctions is unchanged. An upward trend in the graph line (i.e. increasing RLI values) means that there is a decrease in expected future rate of species extinctions (i.e. a reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss). As well as monitoring global trends, the RLI can be disaggregated to compare trends for suites of species in different biogeographic regions, ecosystems, habitats or taxonomic subgroups.

There are ten CMB project species that have, as a result of genuine improvements or deteriorations in their status, changed IUCN Red List category since 1988. The factors believed to have driven these status changes are not evenly distributed throughout these species’ ranges however. For example, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata declined significantly as a result of habitat modification on breeding grounds in Europe and agricultural changes following the collapse of the USSR. These factors are not active in the project region and consequently are not a focus for this report. Of the ten species that have undergone genuine Red List category changes, there are five for which the drivers leading to the category change are suspected to be acting on populations within the project region (Table 2). In order that the RLI change 14

BirdLife International 18/12/12 accurately reflects the extinction risk posed to birds within the project region only, these five species are used to calculate the RLI change, excluding the other species which have changed category. As a consequence, the RLI trend reflects the status changes of five species (Table 2). These species have undergone genuine deteriorations in their global status as a result of factors that were likely to have affected West African populations.

Table 2 Species that have undergone genuine Red List changes globally as a result of factors that are also suspected to be acting on populations within the project region.

Species IUCN Red List Assessment First (1988) Last (2012) Neophron percnopterus Egyptian Vulture LC EN Neotis denhami Denham's Bustard LC NT Balearica pavonina Black Crowned-crane LC VU Rynchops flavirostris African Skimmer LC NT Coracias garrulous European Roller LC NT

Figure 3 Red List Index of species survival for all bird species (n=10,064), all Afrotropical species (n=2,258), all migrants (n=1,862) and project species (n=326). RLI values relate to the proportion of species expected to remain extant in the near future without additional conservation action. A RLI value of 1.0 equates to all species being categorised as Least Concern, and hence that none are expected to go extinct in the near future. A RLI value of zero indicates that all species have gone Extinct.

The RLI for the CMB project species shows that this group are less threatened than birds overall (Fig. 3). This reflects the fact that most project species, and indeed migratory species in general, possess very large geographic ranges and that the region has relatively few endemic species. The declining trend in the graph line parallels that of the wider groupings of species, indicating that the region is experiencing equivalent 15

BirdLife International 18/12/12 declines in conservation status as those of birds globally. The region is no exception to the worldwide trend of worsening species conservation status during the period of Red List assessment.

The RLI presented here is a useful high-level indicator for tracking conservation status trends within the project species. However, it is important to note that the index is derived from a small number of category changes. In addition, the RLI is not highly sensitive to small-scale or rapid changes in the status of species as category changes are assessed at the level of the global population. The IUCN categories are relatively broad and species often have to undergo substantial changes in order to cross the thresholds between categories.

Population trends for project species Data on the global population trends of all project species reveal that despite the comparatively healthy RLI, 116 of the 326 species (36%) are considered to have populations that are currently declining globally. Only 49 (15%) have populations that are assessed to be increasing globally (Fig. 4).

Figure 4 Global population trends for project species (n=326).

When these global trends are examined in more detail, the proportion of species falling into each category appears to be fairly consistent across species groups (Fig. 5). However, the raptors and landbirds seem to have a slighter higher proportion of species with decreasing trends (43% and 40%, respectively), and have only a very small component without trend data. By contrast, amongst the seabirds and waterbirds, the apparently smaller proportion of species with a declining trend is matched by a larger proportion without any trend information. In general, the outlook across species groups is worrying, with every group having at least a third of its species with known trend in global decline.

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100% Uncertain

80% Stable Increasing

60% Decreasing

40% Proportion of Species of Proportion

20%

raptors landbirds seabirds waterbirds all species

n = 35 n = 132 n = 48 n = 139 n = 326

Figure 5 Global population trends for species occurring in West Africa, by species type. Trend data based on 2012 Waterbird Population Estimates Fifth Edition (Wetlands International 2012) and 2012 Red List Assessment (BirdLife International 2012). Total species included is 326. Some seabird and waterbird species occur in both categories, thus species group totals sum to more than 326.

What is perhaps more revealing is the contrast in trends between Afrotropical migrant species and Afrotropical – Palearctic migrants, those that migrate beyond sub-Saharan Africa (Fig. 6).

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Figure 6 Global population trends for species occurring in West Africa, by migration type. Species are distinguished as either Afrotropical migrants (with migrations occurring largely within sub-Saharan Africa) or Afro – Palearctic migrants (largely migrating beyond sub-Saharan Africa). Trend data are based on 2012 Waterbird Population Estimates Fifth Edition (Wetlands International 2012) and 2012 Red List Assessment (BirdLife International, 2012).

A substantially larger proportion of Afro-Palearctic migrants are in global decline than Afrotropical migrants. The pattern shown here is not without precedent, and studies are increasingly showing more declining trends amongst long-distance migrants than amongst short-distant migrants or resident species. For example, a study of population trends in European breeding birds (Sanderson et al. 2006) found that Afro-Palearctic migrants showed significantly greater population declines than residents or short-distance migrants.

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100% Uncertain Stable 80% Increasing Decreasing 60%

40% Proportion of Populations of Proportion 20%

waterbird flyways over West Africa n = 131

Figure 7 Trends for waterbird populations occurring in the Project Region. Trend data presented include only the flyway populations that involve the Project Region. Where more than one flyway population overlapped the Region, a composite trend figure was used. Sample size refers to the number of species included in the analysis. Trend data are based on 2012 Waterbird Population Estimates Fifth Edition (Wetlands International, 2012).

For waterbirds, trend data are also available at the population level (Wetlands International 2012). For those waterbird populations overlapping the Project Region (Fig. 7), the proportion of populations with a declining trend is comparable to the global proportion (Fig. 5) at the species level (i.e. 29% compared with 35.6%). The drivers of these declining population trends may be the same within the Project Region as outside it but this cannot always be assumed; what is certain is that the situation for waterbirds in the Project Region appears to be no better, or worse, than at the global level.

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Key habitats

Using the IUCN habitat classification system, BirdLife International has recorded the habitat preferences of all bird species, including information on habitat seasonality and significance. Figure 8 provides a breakdown of the habitats favoured by the 326 project species. It reveals that grassland—which is used by 202 (62%) project species—is the most frequently used habitat, followed by inland wetlands (191 species, 59%), terrestrial artificial habitats (174 species, 53%), and shrubland (144 species, 44%). These are global habitat preferences, rather than habitat use within the project region, so may not necessarily reflect the habitat types used within the seven project countries.

Figure 8. Global habitat use recorded for project species.

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Major threats

As the IUCN Red List Authority for birds, BirdLife collates and maintains information on the threats impacting bird species. Threat types are coded against the IUCN-Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP) Unified Classification of Direct Threats for analytical purposes (Salafsky et al. 2008). Threatened taxa are coded for Level 1 threats (e.g. Agriculture) and more specific Level 2 threats (e.g. Annual & perennial non- timber crops). The timing, scope and severity of threats to globally threatened and Near Threatened species are regularly assessed in order to determine the level of impact. High impact threats affect the majority of the population and cause rapid declines, while low impact ones affect the minority and cause slower, albeit still significant, declines. For more detailed information on threat classification and how threat impact scores are calculated visit www.birdlife.org/datazone/info/spcthreat.

In addition to the 24 globally threatened and Near Threatened project species for which threat information has been collated as part of the IUCN Red List assessment, a further 45, predominantly waterbird, species have also been coded for threats. These are analysed separately. It is important to note that threats identified for species globally may not be prevalent in West Africa and consequently the following analyses may not necessarily reflect the principal threats in the project region.

The most prevalent threat to globally threatened and Near Threatened project species globally is intentional hunting and trapping ( Fig. 9), which affects 18 of the 24 species, albeit at a high or medium level for just six. Although agriculture is a threat to only 14 species, for 10 of these it is having either a high or medium impact.

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Figure 9 The threats recorded to affect the 24 globally threatened and Near Threatened project species globally categorised by impact level.

Figure 10 The threats recorded to affect 45 Least Concern (predominantly) waterbird species globally, categorised by impact level.

The most prevalent threat globally to the 45 Least Concern project species for which threat information has been collated is that of Dams and water management, which affects 22 species, albeit at a high/medium level for just three (Fig. 10). Human disturbance, hunting and trapping, and pollution are other prevalent threats. Although agriculture only affects 14 species, five of these are affected at a high/medium level.

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Overview of sites known to be significant for West African migrants

Sites identified as significant in the Project Region These include Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and those identified as Critical Sites for waterbirds by the Wings Over Wetlands project. Almost all of the Critical Sites in the region are also IBAs. Importantly, these sites are designated (largely) on the basis of data on congregatory waterbirds. Primarily, this is a because of the way that IBAs are identified, wherein one criterion makes explicit use of waterbird populations and sets thresholds to identify IBAs on the basis of the presence of populations exceeding these thresholds. In addition, the Wings Over Wetlands project had an explicit focus on waterbirds. Equivalent data hence do not exist for other bird groups. Therefore, aside from a few Globally Threatened species, migratory, non-waterbird species are not used as IBA triggers, or for identifying sites in the CSN. Consequently, this section focuses on assessing significant sites for waterbirds within the Project Region.

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) are a set of sites of international significance identified for birds (but often also significant for the conservation of other biodiversity), using a standardised set of data- driven criteria and thresholds, based on threat and irreplaceability. To date, more than 12,000 IBAs have been identified in nearly 200 countries and territories. The BirdLife Partnership aims to identify, monitor and protect a global network of IBAs for the conservation of the world's birds and other biodiversity.

The categories of IBA and the criteria used to select them are listed in Box 1. A more detailed explanation of how IBAs have been identified in Africa can be found in Fishpool and Evans (2001); see also www.birdlife.org/datazone/info/ibacriteria.

Box 1. Categories and criteria used to select Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas. Sites may qualify for multiple categories and criteria.

A: Global A1. Species of global conservation concern The site regularly holds significant numbers of a globally threatened species, or other species of global conservation concern.

A2. Restricted-range species The site is known or thought to hold a significant component of the restricted-range species whose breeding distributions define an Endemic Bird Area (EBA) or Secondary Area (SA).

A3. Biome-restricted species The site is known or thought to hold a significant assemblage of the species whose breeding distributions are largely or wholly confined to one biome.

A4. Congregations i. The site is known or thought to hold, on a regular basis, ≥ 1% of a biogeographic population of a congregatory waterbird species. ii. The site is known or thought to hold, on a regular basis, ≥ 1% of the global population of a congregatory seabird or terrestrial species.

BirdLife International 18/12/12 iii. The site is known or thought to hold, on a regular basis, ≥ 20,000 waterbirds or ≥ 10,000 pairs of seabird of one or more species. iv. The site is known or thought to be a ‘bottleneck’ site where at least 20,000 storks (Ciconiidae), raptors (Accipitriformes and Falconiformes) or cranes (Gruidae) regularly pass during spring or autumn migration.

The BirdLife Partner, Partner Designate, Affiliate or country programme usually leads nationally in IBA identification but, where possible, they do so collaboratively, via a national IBA steering committee comprising the major stakeholder institutions, including government agencies. Not only does their knowledge and expertise enrich the programme, but the involvement of government from an early stage in the process enhances the future conservation prospects of unprotected sites. Usually there then follows a thorough review of existing knowledge and a wide consultation with regional experts that often involves one or more national workshops, at which a draft list of potential IBAs is drawn up and reviewed. Data-poor sites on this list become targets for future survey work. With all available data compiled, a set of IBAs is ‘proposed’ by the national Partner organisation or equivalent. Each site is then assessed by BirdLife Secretariat staff, who check to confirm that it meets the criteria for which it has been proposed, and to ensure that the criteria have been applied consistently both within and between national datasets.

All IBA data are maintained within the WBDB (a web-enabled version of which allows national IBA coordinators from around the world to keep the information up-to-date).

Legislators and planners are increasingly using IBA inventories to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the protected-area networks under their jurisdiction. IBA inventories are widely used as ‘shadow lists’, for example to help evaluate national Special Protection Area identification and designation within the EU, and, for wetland IBAs, by the Ramsar Convention. They have also been used to inform gap analysis by Parties implementing the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (POWPA) under the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD).

Location of IBAs identified in project region Across the seven project countries, 102 IBAs have been identified (Fishpool and Evans 2001), of which 88 are triggered by project species and so constitute project IBAs (see Fig. 11, Table 3 and Annex 2).

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Figure 11 Location of IBAs within the project region (green = IBAs triggered by project species that constitute project IBAs, red=IBAs within the project region triggered by non-project species).

Of the project IBAs, 45 hold significant numbers of a globally threatened or Near Threatened species (A1), 11 hold a significant number of restricted-range species (A2), 38 hold a significant assemblage of biome- restricted species (A3) and 54 hold significant species-congregations (A4). Mauritania has the highest number of project IBAs, followed by Senegal, Guinea and Gambia. Note that many of these IBAs qualify under multiple criteria, many of which relate to resident Afrotropical birds and hence do not involve project species.

Of the 88 IBAs triggered by project species, 14 are also relevant to the Regional Coastal and Marine Conservation Programme of West Africa (PCRM), having been identified as Marine Protected Areas in West Africa through RAMPAO (Réseau Régional d’Aires Marines Protégées en Afrique de l’Ouest). These sites are highlighted in Annex 2.

Table 3. Number of IBAs in the project region

Total Project Project IBA by criteria IBAs IBAs A1 A2 A3 A4i A4ii A4iii A4iv Cape Verde 12 9 8 6 0 0 5 2 0 Gambia 13 12 1 0 3 9 0 4 0 Guinea 18 15 8 4 9 5 1 4 0 Guinea-Bissau 8 7 4 0 5 4 0 4 0 Mauritania 24 23 15 0 12 13 0 14 0 Senegal 17 17 7 0 6 12 3 4 0 Sierra Leone 10 5 2 1 3 2 0 2 0

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Total 102 88 45 11 38 45 9 34 0

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Critical Sites for waterbirds in West Africa

Critical Sites were first identified for waterbird populations in the African-Eurasian region in 2010 on the basis of combined data from BirdLife’s WBDB and the IWC database of Wetlands International. Two criteria were used to identify Critical Sites3:

Criterion 1: The site is known or thought to hold significant numbers of a population of a globally threatened waterbird species on a regular or predictable basis.

Criterion 2: The site is known or thought to hold >1% of a flyway or other distinct population of a waterbird species on a regular or predictable basis.

It is important to point out the limitations of the data available for the Project Region, and therefore in the identification of the Critical Sites. Data come primarily from the annual monitoring schemes of the African Waterbird Census (AWC) along with occasional breeding colony counts and through IBA monitoring. The AWC takes place during January, and little data are available from other months. Consequently, a site may be omitted if:

1. it is not included in the annual waterbird monitoring schemes, or 2. Counts exceed threshold values in months other than January.

The Critical Sites are therefore presented here in the knowledge that their ranking and relative importance is subject to change given improved data.

3 For further information on the CSN criteria or other aspects of the methods behind the CSN Tool, see the CSN User Manual in the help section of the CSN Tool at http://csntool.wingsoverwetlands.org/csn/default.html

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Figure 12 The Critical Sites for waterbirds within the Project Region. Data sourced from the CSN Tool (2010).

There are 46 Critical Sites within the Project Region. Almost all of these are also recognised as IBAs, with three exceptions: Gunjur-Kartong and Pinyai Swamp in Gambia, and Khor in Senegal. However, each of these constitutes a small area contiguous with a much larger existing IBA, the boundaries of which could be revised integrate these Critical Sites. Thus, the Dankunku wetlands IBA could be extended to cover the adjacent Pinyai Swamp, the Allahein to Kartung coast IBA could be extended northwards to incorporate Gunjur-Kartong and the boundary of the Guembeul Avifaunal Reserve and St Louis lagoons IBA could be redrawn to include the neighbouring Critical Site at Khor.

The locations of all Critical Sites in the Project Region are shown in Figure 12 and the full list is presented in Table 4. No Critical Sites have as yet been identified in Cape Verde.

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Table 4 All 46 Critical Sites identified in the project region, with the total population size given as the sum of all species present that meet the Critical Site criteria recorded at the site. These population data derive from the IBA database (in which case the figure for a species at a site is the mean number of individuals recorded at that site over the years for which data are available) and the IWC database (in which case the figure for a site is the mean of the peak counts for that species over the years for which data are available). The country in which each Critical Site is located is represented by a shaded grey cell. Data sourced from the CSN Tool (2010).

# of Critical Sites in country 10 4 5 13 2 12

Cumulative %

Cumulative

of global

Bissau

population of

Critical Site populations for - all species all species present

present4

Gambia Guinea Guinea Mauritania Leone Sierra Senegal Banc d'Arguin National Park 2,755,061 231.0

Arquipélago dos Bijagós 945,010 88.2

Delta du Saloum 256,808 62.9

Djoudj wetlands 834,083 48.0

Aftout es Sâheli 213,035 23.8

Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo 157,950 16.9

Diawling National Park 62,349 11.6

Gâat Mahmoûdé 96,297 9.9

Tanji River (Karinti) Bird Reserve 39,280 9.1

Rio Mansôa and Gêba estuary 53,898 9.0

La Petite Côte 7,628 7.8

Kalissaye Avifaunal Reserve 19,500 7.6

Cap Blanc 45,000 7.3

Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie 29,434 6.6

Ndiaël basin (including the 'Trois Marigots') 108,410 4.8

Lac d'Aleg 101,463 4.8

Cap Vert 36,923 4.2

Ilha de Bolama - Rio Grande de Buba 47,900 4.2

Guembeul Avifaunal Reserve and St Louis lagoons 13,705 3.7

Chott Boul 21,469 3.4

Yawri Bay 47,600 3.4

Tanbi wetland complex 10,630 2.6

Sierra Leone River Estuary 17,600 2.1

Tâmourt en Na'âj 59,000 2.1

Allahein to Kartung coast 7,900 2.0

Bao Bolon Wetland Reserve 14,800 1.5

Rkîz 37,800 1.2

Dankunku wetlands 4,500 1.2

River Sénégal (Ntiagar to Richard-Toll) 26,000 1.1

Lac de Mâl 36,000 1.0

Iles Tristao 10,550 0.9

Joal-Fadiouth 3,862 0.9

Gabou 21,000 0.9

Rio Kapatchez 9,300 0.9

Tâmourt de Chlim 23,700 0.9

Ile Alcatraz et Ile du Naufrage 3,000 0.8

Konkouré 3,000 0.8

Lac de Guiers 3,940 0.5

Jakhaly rice-fields 2,000 0.5

Samba Sotor to Kaur wetlands 1,600 0.4

Niumi National Park 2,000 0.4

Sawana - Oum Lellé 2,135 0.3

Gunjur-Kartong 1,172 0.2

4 Cumulative percentage of populations present is calculated by calculating what % of the global population of each species has been recorded at each site and then summing these for all species present to give a rough indication of relative importance of different sites.

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Pinyai Swamp 520 0.1

Khor 808 0.1

Rio Cacheu 2,000 0.1

By adding together the percentage of the global population represented at a site for all recorded waterbird species, an approximate measure of the relative importance of these 46 sites for waterbird species was obtained (Table 4). The top 10 sites all hold substantial numbers of congregatory waterbirds at some point in the year, but Banc D’Arguin National Park in Mauritania emerges as the most important site in the region by some way, while Arquipélago dos Bijagós in Guinea-Bissau and Djoudj wetlands and Delta du Saloum in Senegal are also really important.

Top Ten Waterbird Species by percentage of global population The Critical Sites within the Project Region hold a substantial share of the global population of a number of waterbird species, making the Region particularly important for these species. Using the data from the CSN Tool it is possible to rank the species recorded in terms of the percentage of the global population for that species occurring at the Critical Sites in the region. The ‘top ten’ are as follows: Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica (63%), Royal Tern Sterna maxima (54%), Red Knot Calidris canutus (51%), Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus (39%), Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus (38%), Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea (36%), Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia (33%), Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula (23%), Garganey Anas querquedula (19%) and Caspian Tern Sterna caspia (19%). The figures in parentheses are the proportions of the global population recorded at Critical Sites in the Project Region. These are based on the summation of counts for Critical Sites and consequently reflect maximum numbers. In some cases this may lead to inflated figures, for example when a large proportion of a population changes wintering location between years, while remaining in the region. However, while the precision these data could be improved, the species identified through the use of the CSN Tool nonetheless represent a set for which the region is of undoubted considerable global significance and permit the identification of a regional site network to help maintain them. All these species are categorised as Least Concern.

Critical Sites for the Top Ten Waterbird Species For waterbird species especially reliant upon the project region, maintaining the integrity of the regional site network is particularly important. Deterioration of these sites could have a significant impact on their global population. The Critical Sites at which these species occur and the level of protection afforded these sites are shown in Table 5.

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Table 5 Critical Sites for the ‘top ten’ Project waterbird species. The top ten species are those with the highest proportion of their global population represented at West African Critical Sites. The number of Critical Sites per country at which each species is present (above the 1% threshold) are also listed. The top ten Critical Sites (by cumulative population of Project species) are highlighted in bold text. Data sourced from the CSN Tool (2010). Colours refer to protection levels as in Fig. 13.

haradrius hiaticula haradrius

Pelecanus onocrotalus Pelecanus

Platalea leucorodia Platalea

Calidris ferruginea Calidris

Limosa lapponica Limosa

Phoenicopterus roseus Phoenicopterus

Sterna caspia Sterna

Sterna maxima Sterna

Anas querquedula Anas

Calidris canutus Calidris

d Godwit Godwit d

taile -

Bar Tern Royal Knot Red Flamingo Greater Pelican White Great Sandpiper Curlew Spoonbill Eurasian Plover Ringed Common Garganey Tern Caspian

Gambia 1 2

Guinea 1 1 1

# Critical Sites per Guinea - Bissau 3 1 3 4 4 1 species / country Mauritania 1 1 1 4 2 1 3 1 7 5

Sierra Leone 1 1 2

Senegal 2 3 3 1 5 1 2 2

Total Critical Sites for species in West Africa 4 5 5 8 5 7 8 8 9 11 Protection Allahein to Kartung coast GM little/none Aftout es Sâheli MR little/none Arquipélago dos Bijagós GW whole Banc d'Arguin National Park MR whole Cap Blanc MR whole Chott Boul MR whole Delta du Saloum SN whole Diawling National Park MR whole Djoudj wetlands SN some Gâat Mahmoûdé MR little/none Guembeul Avifaunal Reserve and St Louis lagoons SN some Ile Alcatraz et Ile du Naufrage GN whole Iles Tristao GN whole Ilha de Bolama - Rio Grande de Buba GW little/none Kalissaye Avifaunal Reserve SN whole La Petite Côte SN little/none Lac d'Aleg MR little/none Lac de Guiers SN little/none Lac de Mâl MR little/none Ndiaël basin (including the 'Trois Marigots') SN some Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie SN whole Rio Mansôa and Gêba estuary GW unknown Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo GW little/none Rkîz MR little/none Sierra Leone River Estuary SL whole Tanji River (Karinti) Bird Reserve GM most 31

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Tâmourt de Chlim MR little/none Tâmourt en Na'âj MR little/none Yawri Bay SL little/none

All countries in the Project Region have a site qualifying for at least one of the top ten waterbird species, except Cape Verde, which has no Critical Sites for these species. All ten are found in Mauritania, with Banc d’Arguin National Park alone hosting nine of the species.

unknown 4%

whole 37%

little/none 44%

most some 4% 11%

Figure 13 Level of formal protection of those Critical Sites significant for the top ten waterbird species. Data derive from the World Database on Protected Areas (http://www.wdpa.org/).

The protection afforded these Critical Sites varies from little or no protection, to being fully gazetted; nearly half, however, have little or none (Fig. 13).

The relative importance of each Critical Site, in terms of proportion of the global population recorded at it, varies markedly by species. In this respect, a poor level of protection at a particular Critical Site will be more significant for some species than others. The current network of site protection is therefore most relevant when considered at a species-level. With this in mind, the following series of figures and data address the importance and level of protection of Critical Sites in the Project Region, for each of the top ten waterbird species in turn.

Of course it should be noted that designation does not necessarily equal protection and sites that are well- protected on paper may not be secure in reality, if protection is not enforced. For example, the Arquipélago dos Bijagós in Guinea-Bissau are officially designated as a UNESCO – MAB Biosphere Reserve (Boloma Bijagós), however, although there are two National Parks within the area, much of the area receives little or no active management or protection (Tim Dodman pers. comm.).

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Table 6 Proportion of total population of each of the top ten waterbird species recorded at Critical Sites grouped by protection level. The table differentiates between (a) the global population of each species, and (b) the total population held within Critical Sites in the Project Region.

% of Project Region Critical Site population % of global population occurring at Critical occurring at Critical Sites grouped by Sites grouped by protection level protection level

% of global little/ little/ Species whole most some unknown whole most some unknown pop in none none WA

Bar-tailed Godwit 63 48 - 10 5 - 76 - 16 8 - Royal Tern 54 40 7 6 - - 74 13 11 - - Red Knot 51 37 - 9 5 - 73 - 18 10 - Greater Flamingo 39 26 1 4 7 - 67 3 10 18 - Great White Pelican 38 20 - 15 3 - 53 - 39 8 - Curlew Sandpiper 36 15 - 18 3 - 42 - 50 8 - Eurasian Spoonbill 32 27 1 3 2 - 84 3 9 6 - Common Ringed Plover 23 17 - 3 3 - 74 - 13 13 - Garganey 19 - - 8 11 - - - 42 58 - Caspian Tern 19 15 1 1 - - 79 5 5 - -

Table 6 shows, for the top ten species, the level of protection of Critical Sites, by proportion of their global and project region populations. In general, the Critical Sites supporting the majority of the population of these species within the region are wholly formally protected.

Figure 14 shows the location, relative importance and associated level of protection of Critical Sites for a selection of waterbird species.

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Figure 14 Critical Sites for a selection of key waterbird species, plotted as proportional circles representing the percentage of the global population of the species that have been recorded at Critical Sites within the Project Region and colour-coded by protection level. Black pie segments represent the overall proportion of the global population that is present at Project Region Critical Sites.

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Top ten Critical Sites 1. Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania

The Banc d’Arguin is the most significant site in the region, and of huge global importance for the numbers of waterbirds using the site at various times of the year. The site, an IBA, receives complete legal protection as a World Heritage Site, as well as being a Ramsar Site. The summed maximum counts of all waterbird species present is 2.76 million birds. Of the top ten waterbird species identified above, nine occur in numbers in excess of 1% of the global population estimate, some greatly so. Over three-quarters of the region’s Bar-tailed Godwit use the site (with a peak count of 542,885 representing 48% of the global estimate), as do 76% of the region’s Eurasian Spoonbill, 71% of the region’s Red Knot, over two-thirds of the Greater Flamingo and 65% of Common Ringed Plover occurring in the region.

2. Arquipélago dos Bijagós, Guinea-Bissau

This site, also an IBA, has been assessed as wholly protected as it falls within the Bolama – Bijagós UNESCO- MAB Biosphere Reserve. In addition, there are two National Parks within the archipelago, the Joao Vieira- Poilao Islands Marine National Park and Orango National Park. However, although this means that the entire Critical Site is considered protected, active protection is apparently restricted to the two National Parks (T. Dodman pers. comm. 2013). This is a site of exceptional importance with the summed populations of all waterbird species totalling 945,010 individuals. It is of particular significance for the 51% of the region’s Curlew Sandpipers have been recorded at the location (18% of the global population), and is also the location for the majority of the region’s Bar-tailed Godwit and Red Knot, away from the Banc d’Arguin. In combination, these two sites account for over 90% of these three species occurring in the project region. The Arquipélago dos Bijagós also hosts 6% of the global breeding population of Royal Tern.

3. Delta du Saloum, Senegal

This site, also an IBA, is a UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve and a Ramsar Site and therefore the area is considered wholly protected. The Delta du Saloum National Park is contained within this area. The site is of prime importance for breeding Royal Tern, supporting up to 120,000 individuals, which represents 60% of the total in the Project region and 32% of the global population. Caspian Tern also occurs in globally significant numbers, with 25,830 breeding individuals representing 7% of the world’s population of this widely distributed species.

4. Djoudj wetlands, Senegal

The Djoudj wetlands are assessed as having only some level of protection, as the site, also an IBA, extends beyond the boundary of the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary World Heritage Site, the Ramsar Site and the Oiseaux de Djoudj National Park. Management plans and monitoring frameworks are in place. Identified threats are livestock grazing, imbalance of fresh and salt water as a result of dam construction in the 1980s, and potentially also disturbance from tourism. From the assessment as a Critical Site for waterbirds, Djoudj holds 40% of the Project area’s Great White Pelicans, including 25,500 breeding individuals, as well as 36% of the Garganey (7% of the global population). The Great White Pelican breeding site is well protected (T. Dodman pers. comm. 2013). The site is even more significant as the centre of the known wintering grounds of Aquatic Warbler, with perhaps 5-10,000 individuals reliant upon the location and currently the only confirmed regular wintering site for this Vulnerable species.

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5. Aftout es Sâheli, Mauritania

This site is considered to have little or no formal protection. The site is an IBA and holds significant numbers of 120,000 Garganey, 24% of the total in the Project area. In addition, 19% of the Greater Flamingo (including 24,000 breeding individuals) and 7.8% of the Great White Pelican (6,300 breeding individuals) in the Project area have been recorded from Aftout es Sâheli. The site, a long and variably saline chain of lagoons, suffers from small-scale agricultural development, pollution, hunting and disturbance and has next to no habitat protection measures in place.

6. Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo, Guinea-Bissau

These coastal mudflats and island are assessed as having little or no protection. The Critical Site is an IBA but is threatened with mangrove clearance, mostly for use as fuel and to provide space for rice cultivation. It is of importance for a similar range of species, albeit in smaller numbers, as Banc d’Arguin and the Arquipélago dos Bijagós, with large numbers of Knot (4% of the global population) and Bar-tailed Godwit (2.5% of the global population) recorded at times.

7. Diawling National Park, Mauritania

The Critical Site, and IBA, is equivalent to the Parc National du Diawling Ramsar site (15,600ha) and includes within it the Diawling National Park (13,000ha). Consequently, it is considered to be wholly protected. Located close to Djoudj wetlands in Senegal, there is much interchange of individuals between the two areas. As with Djoudj, Diawling is of considerable importance for Great White Pelican, holding 37% of individuals occurring in the region at some times. This species relies on both these sites to maintain this population.

8. Gâat Mahmoûdé, Mauritania

This large seasonally-flooded plain is an IBA but is considered to have little or no protection. Of the top ten waterbird species, the site can hold large numbers of Garganey of which a maximum of 21,600 has been recorded (4.3% of the population recorded in the Project area). It is also of significance for Black-crowned Crane (Vulnerable)—maximum count 860, representing 1.7% of the global population.

9. Tanji River (Karinti) Bird Reserve, Gambia

Considered mostly protected (it includes a designated Nature Reserve of 612 ha), this site is also an IBA. The dynamic nature of this site, covering the saline reaches of the Tanji river and associated features, including the Bijol islands, means that protection needs to extend to all these features and allow for their sometimes dynamic nature. Although gazetted, the gathering of deadwood, artisanal fishing and ungulate hunting as well as tourism are permitted. The collective effects of these activities are not really known, but the breeding success of the many gull and tern species breeding on the Bijol Islands in the reserve may hinge on low rates of disturbance to the shifting and temporary habitats formed at the river mouth. Some 7% of the global population of Royal Tern have been recorded at the site, with over 22,000 breeding individuals present.

10. Rio Mansôa and Gêba estuary, Guinea-Bissau

This IBA is classified as having unknown protection status. Lying just to the west of the capital city these two rivers and their combined estuary are threatened by mangrove clearance and settlement, and associated pollution. The only protected area within the Critical Site is the Rio Geba/Rio Mansoa Hunting

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Reserve. Identified for the supported numbers of wading birds, especially Bar-tailed Godwit (2.1% of the global population) the site also holds significant populations of Black Heron (2.2%) and Western Reef Egret (1.8%).

Critical Site use by the top ten waterbird species 1. Bar-tailed Godwit

More than two thirds of the global population of Bar-tailed Godwits utilise just four Critical Sites in Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau. Three quarters of these individuals are located at Banc d'Arguin National Park in Mauritania. In conjunction with the individuals visiting the Arquipélago dos Bijagós in Guinea-Bissau over 90% of the Bar-tailed Godwits visiting West African Critical Sites occur at fully protected sites. The remaining 7% of visitors in the project region are located at Rio Tombali / Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo, and the Rio Mansôa and Gêba estuary, both IBAs in Guinea-Bissau.

2. Royal Tern

A fifth of the world’s Royal Terns are recorded at Critical Sites in the region and the majority of these (83%) occur at fully protected Critical Sites. The remaining 17% are at Tanji River (Karinti) Bird Reserve, in The Gambia, a designated Nature Reserve. Although gazetted, the Site allows the gathering of deadwood, artisanal fishing and ungulate hunting as well as tourism. The collective effects of these activities on Royal Tern (and other trigger species) are not really known, but the breeding success of the many gull and tern species breeding on the Bijol Islands in the reserve may hinge on low rates of disturbance.

3. Red Knot

Over half of the global Red Knot population visit five Critical Sites in Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Sierra Leone. 71% of these individuals occur at the fully protected Banc d'Arguin National Park in Mauritania. Just over 10% of the visitors to West African Critical Sites are located at unprotected or poorly protected sites, with the only Critical Site in Sierra Leone for this species—Yawri Bay—currently with little or no protection. This site is an IBA and parts of it are proposed as Game Sanctuaries. It has the potential to be designated as a Ramsar Site (BirdLife International 2012).

4. Greater Flamingo

Just over one third of the global population of Greater Flamingos visit Critical Sites in West Africa and over 70% of these go to the fully protected Critical Sites in Mauritania, Guinea and Senegal. The most important of these sites is Banc d'Arguin National Park in Mauritania, which holds more than two thirds of the visiting Greater Flamingos. However, nearly 30% of the individuals use poorly or partly protected Critical Sites. In particular, the Djoudj wetlands in Senegal and Aftout es Sâheli in Mauritania hold 27% of the regional populations of Greater Flamingos.

5. Great White Pelican

Just under a quarter of the world’s Great White Pelicans have been recorded at Critical Sites in Mauritania and Senegal. Over half of these birds occur at fully protected sites, principally Diawling National Park in Mauritania, which alone holds 37% of individuals occurring in the region. However, the remaining 44% of individuals occur at Djoudj wetlands in Senegal and Aftout es Sâheli in Mauritania, which have part protection and little protection, respectively. 37

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6. Curlew Sandpiper

Over a third of the global Curlew Sandpiper population visits Critical Sites in the project region, with the majority (nearly 90%) of these visitors found at wholly protected Critical Sites. However, the remaining 11% are located at poorly protected Critical Sites or those with unknown designation status. The only Critical Site for this species in Sierra Leone is the poorly protected Yawri Bay.

7. Eurasian Spoonbill

Almost one third of the global population of Eurasian Spoonbill spend time at Critical Sites in Mauritania and Senegal and, of these, 80% are at fully protected Sites. The most important is Banc d'Arguin National Park in Mauritania, holding 76% of these individuals. However, approximately 20% are recorded from Sites with only part, poor, or no protection. The most significant of these are Aftout es Sâheli in Mauritania and the Djoudj wetlands in Senegal.

8. Common Ringed Plover

Over a fifth of the global population of the species visits Critical Sites in the region and of these 85% are in fully protected sites. However, the remaining 15% occur in sites with little or no protection, or unknown protection levels, which represents nearly 3.5% of the global population. The largest of the poorly protected Critical Sites, Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo in Guinea-Bissau, alone holds 1.5% of the global population.

9. Garganey

Just under a fifth of the global Garganey population have been recorded at Critical Sites in Mauritania and Senegal. However, these sites are poorly protected, with 7 of the 9 Critical Sites having little or no protection and the remaining two only partly protected. The poorly / unprotected Sites thus account for nearly two-thirds of the visiting regional population. Of these Sites, Aftout es Sâheli and Lac d'Aleg in Mauritania are the most significant, holding nearly 6.5% of the global Garganey population between them.

10. Caspian Tern

Some 18.5% of the global population of this very widely distributed species occurs in Critical Sites in the Project Region, 80% of which are in Mauritania and Senegal and are considered wholly protected. The most important sites are the Delta du Saloum and Banc d’Arguin, but a count of 10,000 individuals in winter points to the importance of Cap Blanc (an IBA) in Mauritania. The majority of birds occurring in sites with little or no protected are found along the Allahein to Kartung coast IBA in The Gambia, where sand quarrying has created habitat beneficial to the species. Development at this site following the decommissioning of the quarry here could threaten the species at this location.

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IBA Status

Monitoring the sites important for migratory birds in West Africa is key to being able to track and respond to threats, understand the status and trends of their populations, and assess the effectiveness of any conservation efforts.

IBA monitoring The world’s IBAs are monitored using a simple, robust and practical framework (http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/userfiles/file/IBAs/MonitoringPDFs/IBA_Monitoring_Framework.pdf). This involves regular assessments in which each IBA is scored against indicators of pressure (the threats facing the site), state (the condition of birds and/or their key habitats) and response (the action being taken to conserve the site). The data recorded by observers in the field are entered into the WBDB—which then automatically converts this information into impact scores on a simple 4-point scale for pressure (3=low, 2=medium, 1=high, 0=very high), state (3=favourable, 2=near favourable, 1=unfavourable, 0=very unfavourable) and response (3=high, 2=medium, 1=low, 0=negligible).

Status of IBA monitoring in the Project Region IBA monitoring has been undertaken by a number of BirdLife Partners. However, with only one BirdLife Partner among the seven project countries, most of the region’s IBAs have not been subject to regular monitoring. Only 26 of the 88 project IBAs have been monitored against indicators of pressure, and of these only five sites have been assessed for state and 12 assessed for response (Fig. 15). The majority of assessments date from 2001 (21 sites, 81%), with 3 sites monitored in 2005 and 2 sites monitored in 2009.

Pressure State Response

Figure 15 Monitoring scores for pressure, state and response for project IBAs.

Of the 26 IBAs that have been monitored, 15 were experiencing high levels of pressure, seven were experiencing medium levels and just four were experiencing low levels of pressure. The threats behind these pressure scores are coded using a system for threat categorisation based on the threat types used in the IUCN Red List assessment of species. Threats are scored according to their timing, scope and severity in order to determine an overall impact score for each threat for each site.

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Figure 16 Threats identified for the 26 project IBAs that have so far been monitored. Threats are scored according to their timing, scope and severity in order to determine their overall impact (low, medium, high or very high).

Small-holder farming of annual crops is the most common threat to trigger species at the 26 IBAs, affecting 10 sites, followed by logging (9 sites), hunting and trapping (9 sites) and fishing and harvesting aquatic resources (8 sites). However, small-holder farming of annual crops was only recorded as having a high impact at three sites whereas fishing and harvesting aquatic resources was recorded as having a high impact at six sites (Fig. 16).

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Protection status of project IBAs

Figure 17 The protection status of the 88 project IBAs.

Analysis of information drawn from the World Database on Protected Areas (http://www.wdpa.org/) reveals that less than half (43 sites) of the project IBAs are either fully within a Protected Area or have more than 50% of their area within some kind of Protected Area. Indeed, 47% of sites (41) have either no protection or have less than 10% of their area within some kind of Protected Area (Fig. 17). There is also considerable variation in protection status between the seven project countries. For instance, all but one project IBA in Guinea is fully protected, whilst in Mauritania 83% of project IBAs have either no protection or have less than 10% of their area within some kind of Protected Area (Fig. 18).

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Figure 18 The location and protection status of the project IBAs for the seven project countries.

Sites potentially important for West African migrants

Site networks cannot be expected to remain unchanged over time and periodic review of the existing site networks for groups of species may reveal gaps and opportunities to expand the site network monitored, managed and protected. A number of new sites have already been identified in the Project Region as a result of current and previous work. In 2007, several sites in the Project Region were identified as Gap Sites as part of the Wings Over Wetlands project (Wetlands International, 2007). In 2012, BirdLife International identified a series of sites suitable for marine extensions to existing IBAs based on seabird tracking data. As part of the present Review, a literature review was carried out in order to collate updated survey and monitoring data for sites within the Project Region. Finally, a review of each of the Project species’ IUCN threat category was made in order to identify changes to IBA trigger lists prompted by category changes. Each of these sources of new IBA information is reviewed in turn, below.

Gap sites identified through the WOW project Through the Wings Over Wetlands project a regional workshop was held in West Africa in 2007, which involved representatives of a number of the current project countries. Participants identified priority wetland sites to be surveyed in their country which either were not already IBAs or IWC sites, but which

BirdLife International 18/12/12 they felt were likely to be important areas for waterbird species, or were IBAs but for which more survey effort was required.

Figure 19 The 28 WOW Gap Sites identified within the Project Region.

These 28 Gap Sites are listed in Table 7 along with the species for which the participants felt they could be important.

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Table 7 Gap Sites identified for Wings Over Wetlands (2010) project within West African study region. Sites were split by workshop participants into higher (1) and lower (2) priorities for survey.

IBA Priority Country Gap Site IBA Status inventory Data gap level gap Guinea-Bissau Vendutchan proposed  2 Cantanhfi confirmed  2 Dulombi confirmed  1 Culfada confirmed  1 Tombali confirmed  1 Upper Geba Estuary confirmed  1 Mauritania Tamourts - Eastern Wetlands confirmed  1 Aftout es Saheli confirmed  1 Cap Blanc confirmed  1 Senegal Tiobon Not an IBA   2 Afinian - Adeane Not an IBA   2 Niokolo-Koba Not an IBA*  1 Est de Djembering Not an IBA   2 Lac du Guiers confirmed  1 Fleuve du Senegal est de Richard Toll confirmed  1 Sierra Leone South Turtle Islands Not an IBA   1 Sherbro River Estuary Not an IBA   1 Sewa Wange River, Lake Mape, Lake Mabesi Not an IBA   1 Scarcies River Rstuary Not an IBA   1 Rhanbe Swamps Not an IBA   1 Manunta Mayoso Not an IBA   1 Kumrabai Plain Not an IBA   1 South Bandajuma Swamps Not an IBA   1 Bumpar Not an IBA   1

*Not an IBA, but likely to fall within Parc National du Niokolo-Koba IBA

Sites identified as potentially important through literature review

A review of some of the published and grey literature relevant to the Project Region was carried out as part of the preparation of this report. The review, spanning the period 2000 – December 2012 was not exhaustive (see Table 8 for those sources consulted), but some of the literature provided evidence relevant to project species that supported possible changes to the network of IBAs in the Project Region. In general, the studies reviewed were isolated surveys, and some further survey is advocated in order to confirm the importance of the sites for migratory birds.

The review highlighted evidence that would potentially support the identification of 4 new IBAs, 2 sites that may no longer qualify as IBAs, 3 existing IBAs with possible changes to trigger species, and 2 sites warranting further study. The extent of potential changes at these sites highlights the need for regular

BirdLife International 18/12/12 monitoring of existing IBAs, to track not only anthropogenic change, but also natural modifications to systems, and highlights the need to survey new potential areas of significance for birds.

New sites potentially meeting IBA Criteria:

Sierra Leone

Scarcies Estuary This site is a proposed Key Biodiversity Area (KBA)5 and has already been identified as a “gap” site through the Wings Over Wetlands (2007) project. A study conducted in 2005 by Van der Winden and colleagues on behalf of the Dutch Working Group for International Waterbird and Wetland Research (WIWO), identified Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa at the site in numbers that would be sufficient to trigger the A1 criterion. They also identified Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata at the site, although it is not yet clear whether these were in sufficient number to trigger the A1 criterion. These observations suggest that it would be prudent to carry out a closer investigation of the regular presence of these species at Scarcies Estuary in order to confirm its qualification as an IBA.

Sherbro Island Like Scarcies Estuary, this site is a proposed KBA and was already identified as a “gap” site under the WOW project. The Van der Winden (2005) study observed numbers of Lesser Crested Tern Sterna benghalensis that probably exceed the A4i threshold. They also identified above-threshold numbers of African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris for criteria A1 and A4i. For two species present (Eurasian Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit) the numbers present were significant but did not exceed the A1 threshold. Nevertheless, based on these observations, it would be worth considering survey and monitoring of Sherbro Island / River Estuary in order to confirm potential IBA qualification.

Turtle Island This site is also a proposed KBA and an existing WOW “gap” site. The Van der Winden study found above- threshold numbers of Lesser Crested Tern, suggesting this site could be further examined to investigate qualification as an IBA under criterion A4i.

Guinea

Limbelanda Lake Unlike the sites discussed previously, this site has not previously been identified as a gap site through the WOW project. Limbelanda Lake was visited by Aversa (2007) in 2002 and 2004 and is one of the few locations in inland Guinea where freshwater remains year-round. The study found above-threshold

5 See http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/88 for further information on KBAs

BirdLife International 18/12/12 numbers of Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis for the A4i criteria, suggesting the site warrants further investigation re: potential qualification as an IBA.

Sites possibly no longer meeting IBA Criteria:

Guinea

îles Tristao This collection of islands, which is an IBA and Critical Site, is currently designated as a Ramsar Site for waterbirds, and the species present trigger three different IBA criteria for four species as well as for waterbirds as a whole. However, a study by Veen et al. (2009) revealed that its key sandbank colony, Pani Bankhi, that previously supported terns and other ground-nesting seabirds, was no longer present. The sandbank had been permanently submerged and the survey of remaining areas found no signs of nesting seabirds. The other sandbanks documented hosted hundreds of resting terns, but were inundated at high tide and thus unsuitable as breeding colonies. Consensus amongst local people was that there were no breeding seabirds in the area at all although heron and ibis were known to roost at night in the mangroves. However, more recent, verbally communicated information indicates that the breeding birds have, in fact, simply re-located to a different part of the complex, thus indicating the need for further information and the need to retain the site as an IBA, at least in the short term.

Rio Kapachez et Mouchon Like îles Tristao, this site is currently an IBA and Critical Site and is designated under Ramsar Site, with the species present triggering three separate IBA criteria. Unfortunately, like îles Tristao, the site appears to no longer support the bird populations it once did. Veen and colleagues found no sign of any breeding colonies or suitable sand banks that were not inundated at high tide, anywhere within the site. Moreover, Khoni Benki (previously a suspected seabird breeding colony) had disappeared. Again, these observations suggest the site may no longer qualify as an IBA but further survey may be worthwhile, particularly in light of reports experiences reported above from îles Tristao.

Sites which may merit recognition for additional trigger species:

Senegal

Cap Vert This site is both an IBA and a Critical Site, with populations of Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii (NT), Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis, Black Tern Chlidonias niger and Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedia triggering the A1, A4i and A4ii criteria, respectively. Strandberg and Olofsson (2007) in 2006 from N'gor on the Cap Vert Peninsula observed both Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus (NT) and Cory’s Shearwater passing through the site in higher numbers than previously recorded. The results suggest that further surveys at this site may be useful in order to confirm any additional qualifying species.

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Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone River Estuary This site is an IBA and Critical Site. It is proposed as a KBA and has Ramsar designation. The species present trigger both A4i and A4iii criteria, with 7 species already recognised to occur in numbers sufficient to trigger A4i. A survey conducted in 2005 by Van der Winden and colleagues found that the numbers of Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis present were also sufficient to trigger the A4i criterion. In order to confirm the inclusion of Lesser Crested Tern in the trigger list of species for this site, it would be worth re-surveying to establish regular presence.

Yawri Bay This site is currently an IBA and a Critical Site, and is also a proposed KBA. A long list of species currently triggers the A4i criterion, as well as sufficient waterbirds to trigger A4iii. This site was also documented as part of the Van der Winden (2005) study, and they observed populations of Western Reef Egret Egretta gularis, Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta, Little Tern Sterna albifrons, Lesser Crested Tern and Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica sufficient to trigger A4i. Given the range of potential new trigger species at this site, further surveys are recommended.

Table 8 References for studies carried out in the Project Region that support changes to IBA designation and trigger lists.

Country Site Reference Scarcies Estuary Van der Winden, J., Siaka, A., Dirksen, S., Poot, M. J. M. (2007) Sherbro Island Waterbirds in coastal wetlands of Sierra Leone, January-February 2005. Sierra Leone Turtle Island WIWO Report nr 84. Foundation WIWO, Beek-Ubbergen, The

Sierra Leone River Estuary Netherlands

Yawri Bay Aversa, T. (2007) Bird observations from Dabola Prefecture, Guinea. Limbelanda Lake ABC Bulletin, 14: 45-54 Guinea îles Tristao Veen, J., Keïta, N., Dallmeijer, H., Gbansara, M. S. (2009) Colonies d’oiseaux piscivores nidifiant le long des côtes de Guinée: Etude Rio Kapachez et Mouchon prospective effectuée du 14 au 30 mai 2009. VEDA, The Netherlands

Strandberg, R. and Olofsson, P. (2007) Seabird counts at N'Gor, Senegal, Cap Vert Senegal in November 2006. Malimbus 29: 128-130

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Marine extensions to IBAs

A number of proposed marine IBAs have recently been identified in the Project Region through analysis of foraging ranges and seabird tracking data (BirdLife International 2012). These are as follows:

Table 9 List of proposed marine IBAs with their associated designation criteria and trigger species. Marine IBAs are categorised as the following types – 1. Seabird breeding colony; 2. Seaward extension to breeding colony; 3. Non-breeding (coastal) congregation; 4. Seabird migration bottleneck, 5. Pelagic congregation; 6. Unknown.

Site ID Site name IBA type Trigger species Category Cape Verde 30957 Atlantic, Eastern Central 3 - Marine 5 Pterodroma madeira A1, A4ii Calonectris diomedea A4ii Species group - seabirds A4iii 30813 Central mountain range of Ilha de São Nicolau - 2 Pterodroma feae A4i Marine Phaethon aethereus A4i 30811 Coastal cliffs between Porto Mosquito and Baia do 2 Phaethon aethereus A4i Inferno - Marine 30812 Volcano area, Ilha do Fogo - Marine 2 Pterodroma feae A4i Gambia 30960 Atlantic, Eastern Central 6 - Marine 4,5 Calonectris diomedea A4ii Species group - seabirds A4iii Guinea-Bissau 30961 Atlantic, Eastern Central 7 - Marine 4,5 Calonectris diomedea A4ii Species group - seabirds A4iii 30962 Atlantic, Eastern Central 8 - Marine 4,5 Calonectris diomedea A4ii Species group - seabirds A4iii 30818 Île Alcatraz et Île du Naufrage - Marine 2 Sula leucogaster A4i Larus cirrocephalus A4i Larus genei - Sterna caspia - Sterna maxima A4i Species group - waterbirds A4iii Mauritania 30823 Aftout es Sâheli - Marine 2 Phalacrocorax carbo - Sterna nilotica A4i 30958 Atlantic, Eastern Central 4 - Marine 4,5 Calonectris diomedea A4ii Species group - seabirds A4iii Senegal 30950 Atlantic, Eastern Central 1 - Marine 4,5 Calonectris diomedea A4ii Species group - seabirds A4iii 30959 Atlantic, Eastern Central 5 - Marine 4,5 Pterodroma madeira A1, A4ii Calonectris diomedea A4ii Species group - seabirds A4iii 30827 Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie - Marine 2 Larus cirrocephalus A4i Larus genei A4i 48

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Sterna nilotica - Sterna caspia - Sterna maxima A4i Sterna albifrons - 30828 Parc National des Iles de la Madeleine - Marine 2 Phaethon aethereus A4i

IBA criteria updates based on Red List changes

The IBA inventory for Africa (Fishpool and Evans 2001) was based on the 1994 IUCN Red List assessment (IUCN 1994). Since this time, the Red List status and population estimates of some project species have changed which means that the lists of trigger species and thresholds under categories A1 and A4 require update. The following possible changes to the lists of trigger species at sites will need to be considered when the IBAs in the project countries are formally reviewed.

Table 10 Recommended additions to the lists of trigger species at project IBAs when next formally reviewed.

Country ID IBA Action Criteria Trigger species Cape Verde 6146 Ilhéu Branco Add A1 Calonectris edwardsii Cape Verde 6147 Ilhéu Raso Add A1 Calonectris edwardsii Cape Verde 6140 Serra do Pico da Antónia Remove A1 Milvus milvus fasciicauda Cape Verde 6138 Ribeira do Rabil Add A1 Neophron percnopterus Cape Verde 6137 Ilhéu de Curral Velho Add A1 Neophron percnopterus Gambia 6350 Tanbi wetland complex Add A1 Limosa limosa Gambia 6351 Tanji River (Karinti) Bird Reserve Add A1 Larus audouinii Guinea-Bissau 6389 Arquipélago dos Bijagós Add A1 Numenius arquata Mauritania 6640 Gâat Mahmoûdé Add A1 Balearica pavonina Mauritania 6634 Aftout es Sâheli Add A1 Limosa limosa Mauritania 6639 Chott Boul Add A1 Limosa limosa Mauritania 6629 Banc d'Arguin National Park Add A1 Numenius arquata Senegal 6840 Djoudj wetlands Remove A1 Falco naumanni Senegal 6840 Djoudj wetlands Add A1, A4i Balearica pavonina Senegal 6840 Djoudj wetlands Add A1 Limosa limosa Senegal 6840 Djoudj wetlands Add A1 Neophron percnopterus Senegal 6840 Djoudj wetlands Add A1, A4ii Acrocephalus paludicola Senegal 6841 Ndiaël basin Add A1, A4i Balearica pavonina Senegal 6841 Ndiaël basin Add A1, A4i Limosa limosa Senegal 6844 Guembeul Reserve & St Louis lagoons Add A1, A4i Limosa limosa Senegal 6844 Guembeul Reserve & St Louis lagoons Add A1 Phoeniconaias minor Senegal 6844 Guembeul Reserve & St Louis lagoons Add A4i Sterna nilotica Senegal 6845 Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie Add A1 Limosa limosa Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A1, A4i Limosa limosa Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A4i Pelecanus onocrotalus Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A4i Phoenicopterus roseus Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A1 Phoeniconaias minor Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A1 Larus audouinii Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A4i Phalacrocorax carbo Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A4i Himantopus himantopus

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Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A4i Recurvirostra avocetta Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A4i Glareola pratincola Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A4i Charadrius pecuarius Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A4i Charadrius hiaticula Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A4i Calidris minuta Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A4i Calidris alba Senegal 6848 Niayes Add A4i Sterna nilotica Senegal 6849 Parc National des Iles de la Madeleine Add A4i Phalacrocorax carbo Senegal 6849 Parc National des Iles de la Madeleine Add A4i Sterna anaethaetus Senegal 6850 La Petite Côte Add A4i Pelecanus onocrotalus Senegal 6850 La Petite Côte Add A4i Platalea leucorodia Senegal 6850 La Petite Côte Add A4i Phalacrocorax carbo Senegal 6850 La Petite Côte Add A4i Calidris alba Senegal 6850 La Petite Côte Add A4i Larus cirrocephalus Senegal 6850 La Petite Côte Add A4i Sterna maxima Senegal 6851 Joal-Fadiouth Add A4i Charadrius hiaticula Senegal 6851 Joal-Fadiouth Add A1 Numenius arquata Senegal 6851 Joal-Fadiouth Add A4i Calidris minuta Senegal 6851 Joal-Fadiouth Add A4i Calidris alba Senegal 6851 Joal-Fadiouth Add A4i Larus cirrocephalus Senegal 6852 Delta du Saloum Add A1 Phoeniconaias minor Senegal 6852 Delta du Saloum Add A1, A4i Limosa limosa Senegal 6852 Delta du Saloum Add A1 Numenius arquata Senegal 6852 Delta du Saloum Add A4i Larus audouinii Senegal 6852 Delta du Saloum Add A4i Pelecanus onocrotalus Senegal 6852 Delta du Saloum Add A4i Ciconia nigra Senegal 6852 Delta du Saloum Add A4i Falco naumanni Senegal 6852 Delta du Saloum Add A4i Chelictinia riocourii Senegal 6856 Cap Vert Add A4i Numenius phaeopus Senegal 6856 Cap Vert Add A4i Sterna hirundo Senegal 6856 Cap Vert Add A4i Sterna bengalensis Senegal 6856 Cap Vert Add A4i Sterna dougallii Senegal 6856 Cap Vert Add A4i Sterna maxima Senegal 6856 Cap Vert Add A1, A4ii Calonectris edwardsii

On Cape Verde, a number of endemic subspecies were also included as IBA trigger species (Fishpool and Evans 2001), namely Ardea (purpurea) bournei, Milvus (milvus) fasciicauda, Buteo (‘buteo’) bannermani and Falco (peregrinus) madens. Of these, the taxon Milvus (milvus) fasciicauda has since been shown not to be a sub-species of Red Kite and in any case this population is now believed to be extinct (Hille and Thiollay 2000), and it is recommended that it be removed as an IBA trigger.

Table 11 Recommended removals from the lists of trigger species at project IBAs when next formally reviewed.

Country ID IBA Action Criteria Trigger species Cape Verde 6140 Serra do Pico da Antónia Remove A1 Milvus milvus fasciicauda

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Species conclusions It is clear from this Review that the seven countries in the Project Region are a key ”resource” for migrant birds and contain an established network of protected areas for conservation. The most important areas identified are already protected by formal designations at national and international levels, and that these sites support the majority of the populations of bird species for which the region holds a significant percentage of the global population. However, nearly half of sites currently have either no protection or have less than 10% of their area within a Protected Area. Additionally there is a need for the monitoring of this existing network of protected areas to be strengthened in order to be able to monitor changes in site condition and to ensure important populations are not overlooked.

A set of ten species has been identified as priority migratory species within the CMB framework. These species have been identified based on the high proportions of the global populations of these species that have been recorded in the Project Region, while a further ten migratory Globally Threatened Birds have been identified for which the project region does, or is likely to, support significant populations. The region is of global importance for a few of these species. In particular, it is likely that virtually the entire population of Aquatic Warbler winters in the region, with the Djoudj wetlands being the most important confirmed wintering location for the species.

Table 12. Priority migratory species for the Project Region.

Neophron percnopterus Egyptian Vulture EN Circaetus beaudouini Beaudouin's Snake-eagle VU Balearica pavonina Black Crowned-crane VU Acrocephalus paludicola Aquatic Warbler VU Circus macrourus Pallid Harrier NT Neotis denhami Denham's Bustard NT Limosa limosa Black-tailed Godwit NT Numenius arquata Eurasian Curlew NT Rynchops flavirostris African Skimmer NT Coracias garrulous European Roller NT Anas querquedula Garganey LC Phoenicopterus roseus Greater Flamingo LC Platalea leucorodia Eurasian Spoonbill LC Pelecanus onocrotalus Great White Pelican LC Charadrius hiaticula Common Ringed Plover LC Limosa lapponica Bar-tailed Godwit LC Calidris canutus Red Knot LC Calidris ferruginea Curlew Sandpiper LC Sterna caspia Caspian Tern LC Sterna maxima Royal Tern LC

Aquatic Warbler wintering habitat needs to be fully protected at all sites at which it is recorded. At present, formal Protected Areas only cover some of this area, and regular monitoring of the condition of this site is required. As a Vulnerable species with the majority of the population reliant on the Project region for a 51

BirdLife International 18/12/12 crucial section of its annual cycle this species should be seen as a high priority species. Developments that have the potential to threaten the habitat of the species must be carefully appraised following transparent impact assessment procedures, with a target of a net increase in species populations imposed on such developments.

For Egyptian Vulture there is a need for the protection of breeding sites and regular monitoring at all sites, and the uplisting of this species means that it has been added as a species triggering criterion A1 for three IBAs, two in Cape Verde (Ribeira do Rabil and Ilhéu de Curral Velho) and one in Senegal (Djoudj wetlands). Along with Beaudouin’s Snake-eagle, Pallid Harrier, Denham’s Bustard and European Roller action to address population declines is required at a broad scale, rather than at specific Critical Sites. There is a requirement for improved estimates of the populations of all of these species in the region; current information is very limited. The range of these species is relatively large, and some may only be represented by relatively few individuals in the Project Region. Clarification of the importance of the region for these species requires a more accurate understanding of the numbers involved. This does not preclude measures to improve their status from being explored; all of these species are at risk from a similar suite of actions, including agricultural conversion, indiscriminate pesticide use, and hunting.

Up to 8% of the global population of Black Crowned-crane may occur in the Project Region during the wet season. The congregatory nature of the species means that the adequate protection of the sites used by the species can be a successful conservation strategy, but the most important site identified for the species currently has little or no formal protection. Tackling the capture of live birds for the wild bird trade appears to be the most important issue for this species, although the excessive use of pesticides is also considered a threat.

Given the alarming decline of river island birds in Asia the protection of breeding colonies of African Skimmer is of high priority, although this is currently only considered a Near Threatened species. Information on the population in the Project Region is required; it may be that the region is only of marginal importance to the species but any breeding populations require protection.

The set of ten CMB priority species are especially reliant upon the network of protected sites in the region, which supports a very significant percentage of their global populations at times. Palearctic-breeding shorebirds including over half the global population estimate of Bar-tailed Godwit and Red Knot, over a third of all Curlew Sandpipers and more than a fifth of all Common Ringed Plover winter at very few key sites. More than half of the world’s Royal Terns are found in the Project Region, along with nearly a fifth of all Caspian Terns.

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Figure 20. Habitats coded as suitable or as being of major importance for the priority species

Unsurprisingly, given that species selection derives largely from African Waterbird Census data, the habitats of major importance to the priority species identified here are wetlands, both inland wetlands and marine intertidal areas. These are the overwhelmingly important habitats in the region, based on the numbers of birds that rely upon them, including fifteen of the twenty priority species. Grassland and savannah are major habitats for Egyptian Vulture (which also requires rocky areas), Beaudouin’s Snake-eagle, Pallid Harrier, Denham’s Bustard and European Roller, and the conversion of these habitats to agriculture is of concern for these species. The artificial habitats include man-made wet habitats (including water storage reservoirs) and mostly agricultural land in terrestrial realms. While suitable for several species, none of these are coded as major habitats for these species.

Site conclusions

This review has highlighted the need for an improvement in the monitoring of the IBA network in the region, for updates to IBA boundaries and updates to the trigger species and criteria under which sites are listed. Of the 88 IBAs in the Project Region, 47% have either no formal protection or have less than 10% of their area within some kind of Protected Area. In addition, only 26 have been monitored against indicators of pressure, five for state and 12 for response. Most assessments date from 2001, with only 5 sites monitored since. The indications from this small sample are that the region’s IBAs are experiencing medium or high levels of pressure, and assessments for more sites are urgently required to form a view on the condition of the IBA network.

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Djoudj wetlands in Senegal has recently been recognised as the significant wintering site for the Vulnerable Aquatic Warbler and the whole IBA requires full protection and informed management to benefit this species.

A total of 46 Critical Sites for migratory birds in the region have been identified as priorities for protection and monitoring. Maintenance of these sites in favourable condition will safeguard internationally significant populations of a number of migratory species during the periods of the year when these species occur in the region. Of these, 43 of these are already recognised as IBAs. The three additional Critical Sites are locations adjacent to existing IBAs and could be included within IBAs with relatively minor boundary changes, indicating that re-assessments are required of whether the present IBA boundaries incorporate sufficient areas.

The sites that support the greatest proportion of global populations of waterbirds in the region are largely or entirely coincident with Protected Areas. The most important sites, Banc d’Arguin in Mauritania and Arquipélago dos Bijagós in Guinea-Bissau, can support over 3.5 million birds, of which the majority are Palearctic breeding shorebirds. However, without more complete and up-to-date data from IBA monitoring it is difficult to draw conclusions on the security or health of much of the Critical Site and/or IBA network in the Project Region.

The Wings Over Wetlands project identified 11 IBAs whose significance may not be fully recognised, while an additional 12 sites were identified as potentially qualifying as IBAs but which currently do not do so. All these sites are priorities for survey. Four further sites have since been suggested as perhaps qualifying as new IBAs; Scarcies Estuary, Sherbro Island and Turtle Island in Sierra Leone and Limbelanda Lake in Guinea. Changes to the Red List and new or overlooked data also result in changes to the qualifying criteria relevant to the region’s IBAs. Expert review of Senegalese IBAs has resulted in 52 changes to trigger species in that country alone; this exercise needs to be extended to all countries in the region.

Fourteen Marine IBAs have been proposed in the Project Region, half of which are seaward extensions to seabird breeding colonies and half are either seabird migration bottlenecks, pelagic concentrations of seabirds or both. Five of these are around Cape Verde, four off Senegal, three off Guinea-Bissau, two off Mauritania and one off The Gambia.

It should be borne in mind that not all relevant data are held in the African Waterbird Census and therefore the Critical Site Network tool. There is therefore the possibility that there are sites holding trigger populations that have been overlooked, either due to the site not being part of this survey or that populations exceed thresholds in months other than January, when the census takes place. It has been suggested that this may be the case for Black-tailed Godwit. Information on non-waterbird migrants is minimal, and it has not been possible to assess the relative importance of different habitats or sites for these species.

Regional recommendations The outputs from the workshop session on national threats, gaps, issues and recommendations for each of the project countries (Cape Verde excepted), held in Conakry, Guinea, 9 April 2013, are shown in Annex 4.

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Annexes

1. Species list and attributes 2. IBA list 3. Calculating the Red List Index 4. Workshop outcomes - national group work and recommendations

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Annex 1. Mava project scientific review species list. Species Conservation Migratory populations in project Migratory status in region

Status countries

Bissau

Also non-migratory

RedList trend Global Verde Cape Gambia Guinea Guinea Mauritania Senegal

Scientific name Common name Leone Sierra Type Season populations

Coturnix coturnix Common Quail LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Coturnix delegorguei Harlequin Quail LC Stable X Intra-African migrant breeding Coturnix chinensis Blue Quail LC Stable X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Fulvous Whistling- Dendrocygna bicolor duck LC Decreasing X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X White-faced Dendrocygna viduata Whistling-duck LC Increasing X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Thalassornis leuconotus White-backed Duck LC Stable X Sedentary Resident X Plectropterus gambensis Spur-winged Goose LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Sarkidiornis melanotos Comb Duck LC Decreasing X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Alopochen aegyptiaca Egyptian Goose LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Nettapus auritus African Pygmy-goose LC Decreasing X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Anas strepera Gadwall LC Increasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Anas penelope Eurasian Wigeon LC Stable X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Anas platyrhynchos Mallard LC Increasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Anas clypeata Northern Shoveler LC Increasing X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Anas acuta Northern Pintail LC Increasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Anas querquedula Garganey LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Anas crecca Common Teal LC Decreasing X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Marmaronetta angustirostris Marbled Teal VU Decreasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Aythya ferina Common Pochard LC Decreasing X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Aythya nyroca Ferruginous Duck NT Decreasing X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Aythya fuligula Tufted Duck LC Increasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Pterodroma feae Fea's Petrel NT Increasing X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Calonectris diomedea Cory's Shearwater LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Cape Verde Calonectris edwardsii Shearwater NT Decreasing X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Puffinus gravis Great Shearwater LC Stable X X X X X X X Southern hemisphere migrant non-breeding Puffinus griseus Sooty Shearwater NT Decreasing X X X X X X Southern hemisphere migrant non-breeding Puffinus puffinus Manx Shearwater LC Decreasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Puffinus assimilis Little Shearwater LC Decreasing X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Bulweria bulwerii Bulwer's Petrel LC Stable X X X X X X X Nearctic migrant breeding Oceanites oceanicus Wilson's Storm-petrel LC Stable X X X X X X Southern hemisphere migrant non-breeding White-faced Storm- Pelagodroma marina petrel LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Madeiran Storm- Oceanodroma castro petrel LC Decreasing X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Oceanodroma leucorhoa Leach's Storm-petrel LC Stable X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Tachybaptus ruficollis Little Grebe LC Unknown X X X X X X Intra-African & Palearctic migrant breeding & non-breeding X Podiceps nigricollis Black-necked Grebe LC Stable X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Phoenicopterus roseus Greater Flamingo LC Stable X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Phoeniconaias minor Lesser Flamingo NT Decreasing X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Mycteria ibis Yellow-billed Stork LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Anastomus lamelligerus African Openbill LC Stable X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Ciconia nigra Black Stork LC Unknown X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Ciconia abdimii Abdim's Stork LC Decreasing X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding Ciconia episcopus Woolly-necked Stork LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Ciconia ciconia White Stork LC Increasing X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Leptoptilos crumeniferus Marabou Stork LC Increasing X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Threskiornis aethiopicus African Sacred Ibis LC Stable Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Geronticus eremita Northern Bald Ibis CR Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Plegadis falcinellus Glossy Ibis LC Decreasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Platalea leucorodia Eurasian Spoonbill LC Decreasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Platalea alba African Spoonbill LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Botaurus stellaris Great Bittern LC Decreasing X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Ixobrychus minutus Little Bittern LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Ixobrychus sturmii Dwarf Bittern LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Black-crowned Night- Nycticorax nycticorax heron LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Ardeola ralloides Squacco Heron LC Unknown X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Bubulcus ibis Cattle Egret LC Increasing X X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Ardea cinerea Grey Heron LC Increasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Ardea melanocephala Black-headed Heron LC Increasing X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Ardea goliath Goliath Heron LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Ardea purpurea Purple Heron LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Casmerodius albus Great Egret LC Stable X X X X X X Sedentary Resident X Mesophoyx intermedia Intermediate Egret LC Decreasing X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Egretta ardesiaca Black Heron LC Increasing X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Egretta garzetta Little Egret LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Egretta gularis Western Reef-egret LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Phaethon aethereus Red-billed Tropicbird LC Decreasing X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Pelecanus onocrotalus Great White Pelican LC Unknown X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding X Pelecanus rufescens Pink-backed Pelican LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Morus bassanus Northern Gannet LC Increasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Sula leucogaster Brown Booby LC Decreasing X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Phalacrocorax carbo Great Cormorant LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African migrant non-breeding X Falco naumanni Lesser Kestrel LC Stable X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Falco tinnunculus Common Kestrel LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Falco vespertinus Red-footed Falcon NT Decreasing X X X Palearctic migrant passage Falco subbuteo Eurasian Hobby LC Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant passage Falco cherrug Saker Falcon EN Decreasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Falco peregrinus Peregrine Falcon LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Pandion haliaetus Osprey LC Increasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Aviceda cuculoides African Baza LC Stable X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X European Honey- Pernis apivorus buzzard LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding African Swallow-tailed Chelictinia riocourii Kite LC Decreasing X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding Milvus milvus Red Kite NT Decreasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Milvus migrans Black Kite LC Unknown X X X X X X Intra-African & Palearctic migrant breeding Neophron percnopterus Egyptian Vulture EN Decreasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Gyps fulvus Griffon Vulture LC Increasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Short-toed Snake- Circaetus gallicus eagle LC Stable X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Beaudouin's Snake- Circaetus beaudouini eagle VU Decreasing X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Circaetus cinereus Brown Snake-eagle LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Western Marsh- Circus aeruginosus harrier LC Increasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Circus macrourus Pallid Harrier NT Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Circus pygargus Montagu's Harrier LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Polyboroides typus African Harrier-hawk LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Accipiter badius Shikra LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Accipiter ovampensis Ovampo Sparrowhawk LC Increasing X X X Intra-African migrant non-breeding Accipiter nisus Eurasian Sparrowhawk LC Stable X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Butastur rufipennis Grasshopper Buzzard LC Decreasing X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding Buteo buteo Common Buzzard LC Increasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Buteo rufinus Long-legged Buzzard LC Stable X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Buteo auguralis Red-necked Buzzard LC Increasing X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Aquila chrysaetos Golden Eagle LC Stable X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Aquila wahlbergi Wahlberg's Eagle LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding Aquila fasciatus Bonelli's Eagle LC Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Hieraaetus pennatus Booted Eagle LC Decreasing X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Neotis denhami Denham's Bustard NT Decreasing X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding Sarothrura elegans Buff-spotted Flufftail LC Stable X X Sedentary Resident X Crecopsis egregia African Crake LC Unknown X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Crex crex Corncrake LC Stable X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Amaurornis flavirostra Black Crake LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Porzana parva Little Crake LC Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Porzana pusilla Baillon's Crake LC Unknown X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Porzana porzana Spotted Crake LC Stable X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Porphyrio alleni Allen's Gallinule LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Gallinula chloropus Common Moorhen LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Gallinula angulata Lesser Moorhen LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Fulica atra Common Coot LC Increasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Balearica pavonina Black Crowned-crane VU Decreasing X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding Turnix sylvaticus Small Buttonquail LC Decreasing X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Ortyxelos meiffrenii Lark Buttonquail LC Unknown X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Burhinus oedicnemus Eurasian Thick-knee LC Decreasing X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Burhinus senegalensis Senegal Thick-knee LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Eurasian Haematopus ostralegus Oystercatcher LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Himantopus himantopus Black-winged Stilt LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Recurvirostra avosetta Pied Avocet LC Decreasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Vanellus vanellus Northern Lapwing LC Stable X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Vanellus spinosus Spur-winged Lapwing LC Increasing X X X X X X Sedentary Resident X White-headed Vanellus albiceps Lapwing LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Vanellus senegallus Wattled Lapwing LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Vanellus lugubris Senegal Lapwing LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Pluvialis squatarola Grey Plover LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Common Ringed Charadrius hiaticula Plover LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Charadrius dubius Little Ringed Plover LC Unknown X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Charadrius pecuarius Kittlitz's Plover LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Charadrius forbesi Forbes's Plover LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Charadrius alexandrinus Kentish Plover LC Unknown X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Charadrius marginatus White-fronted Plover LC Unknown X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Rostratula benghalensis Greater Painted-snipe LC Unknown X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Lymnocryptes minimus Jack Snipe LC Stable X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Gallinago media Great Snipe NT Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Gallinago gallinago Common Snipe LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Limosa limosa Black-tailed Godwit NT Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Limosa lapponica Bar-tailed Godwit LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Numenius phaeopus Whimbrel LC Stable X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Numenius arquata Eurasian Curlew NT Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Tringa erythropus Spotted Redshank LC Stable X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Cream-coloured Cursorius cursor Courser LC Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Tringa totanus Common Redshank LC Unknown X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Tringa stagnatilis Marsh Sandpiper LC Unknown X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Tringa nebularia Common Greenshank LC Stable X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Tringa ochropus Green Sandpiper LC Stable X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Tringa glareola Wood Sandpiper LC Stable X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Actitis hypoleucos Common Sandpiper LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Arenaria interpres Ruddy Turnstone LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Calidris canutus Red Knot LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Calidris alba Sanderling LC Unknown X X X X X X X Palearctic & Nearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Calidris minuta Little Stint LC Stable X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Calidris temminckii Temminck's Stint LC Stable X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Calidris alpina Dunlin LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Calidris ferruginea Curlew Sandpiper LC Increasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Philomachus pugnax Ruff LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Phalaropus fulicarius Red Phalarope LC Unknown X X X Palearctic & Nearctic migrant non-breeding Pluvianus aegyptius Egyptian Plover LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Cursorius temminckii Temminck's Courser LC Unknown X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Rhinoptilus Bronze-winged chalcopterus Courser LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Glareola pratincola Collared Pratincole LC Unknown X X X X X X Intra-African & Palearctic migrant breeding & non-breeding X Black-winged Glareola nordmanni Pratincole NT Decreasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Glareola nuchalis Rock Pratincole LC Stable X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Larus audouinii Audouin's Gull NT Increasing X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Larus dominicanus Kelp Gull LC Increasing X X X Intra-African migrant non-breeding Larus michahellis Yellow-legged Gull LC Increasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Lesser Black-backed Larus fuscus Gull LC Increasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Larus cirrocephalus Grey-headed Gull LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Larus ridibundus Black-headed Gull LC Stable X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Larus genei Slender-billed Gull LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African & Palearctic migrant breeding & non-breeding X Larus melanocephalus Mediterranean Gull LC Stable X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Larus minutus Little Gull LC Increasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Xema sabini Sabine's Gull LC Stable X X X X X X Arctic migrant passage Rissa tridactyla Black-legged Kittiwake LC Unknown X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Sterna nilotica Gull-billed Tern LC Unknown X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Sterna caspia Caspian Tern LC Increasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Sterna maxima Royal Tern LC Unknown X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding X Sterna bengalensis Lesser Crested Tern LC Stable X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Sterna sandvicensis Sandwich Tern LC Unknown X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Sterna dougallii Roseate Tern LC Decreasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Sterna hirundo Common Tern LC Unknown X X X X X X X Intra-African & Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Sterna paradisaea Arctic Tern LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic & Nearctic migrant non-breeding Sterna albifrons Little Tern LC Decreasing X X X X X Intra-African & Palearctic migrant breeding & non-breeding X Sterna balaenarum Damara Tern NT Stable X Intra-African migrant non-breeding Sterna anaethetus Bridled Tern LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding X Sterna fuscata Sooty Tern LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding X Chlidonias hybrida Whiskered Tern LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Chlidonias leucopterus White-winged Tern LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Chlidonias niger Black Tern LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Rynchops flavirostris African Skimmer NT Decreasing X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Stercorarius skua Great Skua LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Stercorarius antarcticus Southern Skua LC Stable X X X X X X X Antarctic migrant non-breeding Stercorarius pomarinus Pomarine Jaeger LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic & Nearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Stercorarius parasiticus Parasitic Jaeger LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic & Nearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Stercorarius longicaudus Long-tailed Jaeger LC Stable X X X Palearctic & Nearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Chestnut-bellied Pterocles exustus Sandgrouse LC Stable X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Streptopelia turtur European Turtle-dove LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Streptopelia vinacea Vinaceous Dove LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Streptopelia roseogrisea African Collared-dove LC Stable X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Blue-spotted Wood- Turtur afer dove LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Oena capensis Namaqua Dove LC Increasing X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Agapornis pullarius Red-headed Lovebird LC Decreasing X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Clamator jacobinus Pied Cuckoo LC Stable X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Clamator levaillantii Levaillant's Cuckoo LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding Clamator glandarius Great Spotted Cuckoo LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African & Palearctic migrant breeding & non-breeding X Cuculus solitarius Red-chested Cuckoo LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Cuculus clamosus Black Cuckoo LC Stable X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Cuculus canorus Common Cuckoo LC Decreasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Cuculus gularis African Cuckoo LC Stable X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding Chrysococcyx klaas Klaas's Cuckoo LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X African Emerald Chrysococcyx cupreus Cuckoo LC Stable X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Chrysococcyx caprius Didric Cuckoo LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Centropus grillii Black Coucal LC Stable X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Otus scops Common Scops-owl LC Decreasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Asio flammeus Short-eared Owl LC Decreasing X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Asio capensis Marsh Owl LC Stable X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Caprimulgus ruficollis Red-necked Nightjar LC Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Caprimulgus europaeus Eurasian Nightjar LC Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Caprimulgus aegyptius Egyptian Nightjar LC Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Caprimulgus inornatus Plain Nightjar LC Stable X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding X Caprimulgus climacurus Long-tailed Nightjar LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Macrodipteryx Standard-winged longipennis Nightjar LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding Tachymarptis melba Alpine Swift LC Stable X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Tachymarptis Mottled Swift LC Stable X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X aequatorialis Apus apus Common Swift LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage breeding, non-breeding & Apus pallidus Pallid Swift LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African & Palearctic migrant passage Apus caffer White-rumped Swift LC Increasing X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Coracias garrulus European Roller NT Decreasing X X X X Palearctic migrant passage Coracias abyssinicus Abyssinian Roller LC Increasing X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding Rufous-crowned Coracias naevia Roller LC Decreasing X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Eurystomus glaucurus Broad-billed Roller LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Grey-headed Halcyon leucocephala Kingfisher LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Halcyon senegalensis Woodland Kingfisher LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X African Pygmy- Ceyx pictus kingfisher LC Stable X X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Swallow-tailed Bee- Merops hirundineus eater LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X White-throated Bee- Merops albicollis eater LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Merops orientalis Little Green Bee-eater LC Increasing X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Blue-cheeked Bee- Merops persicus eater LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African & Palearctic migrant breeding & non-breeding Merops apiaster European Bee-eater LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Northern Carmine Merops nubicus Bee-eater LC Decreasing X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Upupa epops Eurasian Hoopoe LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding X Jynx torquilla Eurasian Wryneck LC Decreasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Pitta angolensis African Pitta LC Decreasing X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Red-shouldered Campephaga phoenicea Cuckooshrike LC Decreasing X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Lanius collurio Red-backed Shrike LC Decreasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Lanius isabellinus Rufous-tailed Shrike LC Stable X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Lanius excubitor Great Grey Shrike LC Stable X X Local seasonal movements non-breeding X Lanius senator Woodchat Shrike LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Lanius nubicus Masked Shrike LC Decreasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Eurasian Golden Oriolus oriolus Oriole LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Oriolus auratus African Golden Oriole LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding African Paradise- Terpsiphone viridis flycatcher LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Psalidoprocne obscura Fanti Saw-wing LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Riparia riparia Sand Martin LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Hirundo rupestris Eurasian Crag-martin LC Increasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Hirundo rustica Barn Swallow LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Hirundo aethiopica Ethiopian Swallow LC Increasing X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Hirundo smithii Wire-tailed Swallow LC Increasing X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Hirundo leucosoma Pied-winged Swallow LC Increasing X X X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Lesser Striped- Hirundo abyssinica swallow LC Increasing X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Rufous-chested Hirundo semirufa Swallow LC Increasing X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Hirundo senegalensis Mosque Swallow LC Increasing X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Hirundo daurica Red-rumped Swallow LC Increasing X X X X X X Intra-African & Palearctic migrant breeding & non-breeding X Northern House- Delichon urbicum martin LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Mirafra cantillans Singing Bushlark LC Decreasing X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Pinarocorys erythropygia Rufous-rumped Lark LC Stable X X Intra-African migrant breeding Rhamphocoris clotbey Thick-billed Lark LC Stable X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Calandrella Greater Short-toed brachydactyla Lark LC Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Calandrella rufescens Lesser Short-toed Lark LC Decreasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Galerida cristata Crested Lark LC Decreasing X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Chestnut-backed Eremopterix leucotis Sparrow-lark LC Stable X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Common Locustella naevia Grasshopper-warbler LC Decreasing X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Locustella luscinioides Savi's Warbler LC Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Acrocephalus paludicola Aquatic Warbler VU Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Sedge Warbler LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Acrocephalus scirpaceus Eurasian Reed-warbler LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Acrocephalus arundinaceus Great Reed-warbler LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Western Olivaceous Hippolais opaca Warbler LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Hippolais polyglotta Melodious Warbler LC Increasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Hippolais icterina Icterine Warbler LC Decreasing X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Phylloscopus trochilus Willow Warbler LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Phylloscopus collybita Common Chiffchaff LC Increasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Phylloscopus ibericus Iberian Chiffchaff LC Stable X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Phylloscopus bonelli Bonelli's Warbler LC Stable X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Phylloscopus sibilatrix Wood Warbler LC Decreasing X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Sylvia atricapilla Blackcap LC Increasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Sylvia borin Garden Warbler LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Sylvia communis Common Whitethroat LC Decreasing X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Sylvia curruca Lesser Whitethroat LC Increasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Sylvia hortensis Orphean Warbler LC Decreasing X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Sylvia melanocephala Sardinian Warbler LC Increasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Sylvia cantillans Subalpine Warbler LC Increasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Sylvia conspicillata Spectacled Warbler LC Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Cinnyricinclus leucogaster Violet-backed Starling LC Decreasing X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Turdus philomelos Song Thrush LC Decreasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Luscinia megarhynchos Common Nightingale LC Increasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Luscinia svecica Bluethroat LC Stable X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Rufous-tailed Scrub- Erythropygia galactotes robin LC Stable X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Phoenicurus ochruros Black Redstart LC Stable X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Phoenicurus phoenicurus Common Redstart LC Increasing X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Saxicola rubetra Whinchat LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Saxicola torquatus Common Stonechat LC Stable X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding X Oenanthe oenanthe Northern Wheatear LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Oenanthe hispanica Black-eared Wheatear LC Decreasing X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Oenanthe deserti Desert Wheatear LC Stable X X Intra-African migrant non-breeding Oenanthe isabellina Isabelline Wheatear LC Stable X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Oenanthe heuglini Heuglin's Wheatear LC Stable X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Rufous-tailed Rock- Monticola saxatilis thrush LC Stable X X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Monticola solitarius Blue Rock-thrush LC Stable X X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Muscicapa striata Spotted Flycatcher LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding European Pied Ficedula hypoleuca Flycatcher LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Anthreptes platurus Pygmy Sunbird LC Stable X X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding Sudan Golden Passer luteus Sparrow LC Stable X X X Local seasonal movements breeding & non-breeding X Quelea erythrops Red-headed Quelea LC Stable X X X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Quelea quelea Red-billed Quelea LC Stable X X X Intra-African migrant breeding & non-breeding X Motacilla alba White Wagtail LC Decreasing X X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Motacilla flava Yellow Wagtail LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Motacilla cinerea Grey Wagtail LC Stable X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Anthus richardi Richard's Pipit LC Stable X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Anthus campestris Tawny Pipit LC Stable X X X X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Anthus trivialis Tree Pipit LC Decreasing X X X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Anthus pratensis Meadow Pipit LC Decreasing X Palearctic migrant non-breeding Anthus cervinus Red-throated Pipit LC Stable X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding Emberiza hortulana Ortolan Bunting LC Decreasing X X X X Palearctic migrant passage & non-breeding

Annex 2. List of Important Bird Areas qualifying for Mava project species (see Annex 1). Those sites that are also relevant to PCRM, having been identified as Marine Protected Areas in West Africa through RAMPAO (Réseau Régional d’Aires Marines Protégées en Afrique de l’Ouest) are highlighted in green. Site Record Site Criteria Country Site Name (International) ID (Confirmed) 6148 Central mountain range of Ilha de São A1, A2, A4ii Cape Verde Nicolau 6139 Coastal cliffs between Porto Mosquito and A4ii Cape Verde Baia do Inferno Cape Verde 6146 Ilhéu Branco A1, A2, A4ii Cape Verde 6147 Ilhéu Raso A1, A2, A4ii, A4iii Cape Verde 6145 Ilhéus do Rombo A1, A2, A4iii Cape Verde 6142 Kapok tree, Boa Entrada A1 6143 Mahoganies at Banana, Ribeira Montanha, A1 Cape Verde Ilha de Santiago Cape Verde 6140 Serra do Pico da Antónia A1, A2 Cape Verde 6144 Volcano area, Ilha do Fogo A1, A2, A4ii Gambia 6347 Abuko Nature Reserve A3 Gambia 6352 Allahein to Kartung coast A4i Gambia 6354 Bao Bolon Wetland Reserve A4i, A4iii Gambia 6356 Dankunku wetlands A4i Gambia 6357 Islands of the Central River Division A4i, A4iii Gambia 6358 Jakhaly rice-fields A4i Gambia 6353 Kiang West National Park A3 Gambia 6349 Niumi National Park A4i Gambia 6348 Pirang Forest Park A3 Gambia 6355 Samba Sotor to Kaur wetlands A4i Gambia 6350 Tanbi wetland complex A4i, A4iii Gambia 6351 Tanji River (Karinti) Bird Reserve A1, A4i, A4iii Guinea 6366 Balandougou A3 Guinea 6362 Chutes de la Sala A1, A3 Guinea 6369 Gangan Foret Classe A1, A2, A3 Guinea 6371 Grandes Chutes A1, A3 Guinea 6364 Ile Alcatraz et Ile du Naufrage A4i, A4ii Guinea 6374 Ile Blanche A4i Guinea 6363 Iles Tristao A1, A4i, A4iii Guinea 6370 Kabitaï A3 Guinea 6372 Konkouré A4i, A4iii Guinea 6373 Kounounkan A1, A2, A3 Guinea 6367 Mafou A3 Guinea 6375 Massif du Ziama A1, A2, A3 6376 Monts Nimba (part of Mount Nimba A1, A2, A3 Guinea transboundary AZE) Guinea 6365 Rio Kapatchez A1, A4i, A4iii Guinea 6368 Rio Pongo A4iii Guinea-Bissau 6389 Arquipélago dos Bijagós A4i, A4iii Guinea-Bissau 6385 Dulombi A3 Guinea-Bissau 6387 Ilha de Bolama - Rio Grande de Buba A4i, A4iii Guinea-Bissau 6386 Lagoas de Cufada A1, A3 Guinea-Bissau 6383 Rio Cacheu A1, A3 Guinea-Bissau 6384 Rio Mansôa and Gêba estuary A1, A3, A4i, A4iii Guinea-Bissau 6388 Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo A1, A3, A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6634 Aftout es Sâheli A1, A3, A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6631 Arâguîb el Jahfa A1, A3 Mauritania 6629 Banc d'Arguin National Park A1, A3, A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6628 Cap Blanc A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6624 Chegga A3 Mauritania 6639 Chott Boul A1, A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6643 Diawling National Park A1, A3, A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6627 El Ghallâouîya A1, A3 Mauritania 6633 Gabou A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6640 Gâat Mahmoûdé A1, A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6630 Ibi (Graret el Frass) A1, A3 Mauritania 6644 Kankossa A4iii Mauritania 6626 Kediet ej Jill A1, A3 Mauritania 6635 Lac d'Aleg A1, A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6636 Lac de Mâl A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6638 Rkîz A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6642 Sawana - Oum Lellé A1, A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6623 Tamreïkat A1, A3 Mauritania 6641 Tâmourt de Chlim A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6637 Tâmourt en Na'âj A4i, A4iii Mauritania 6645 Tinigart A1, A3 Mauritania 6646 Wad Initi A1, A3 Mauritania 6632 Wagchogda A1, A3 Senegal 6856 Cap Vert A1, A4i, A4ii Senegal 6852 Delta du Saloum A1, A3, A4i, A4iii Senegal 6840 Djoudj wetlands A1, A4i, A4ii, A4iii Senegal 6846 Ferlo North A3 Senegal 6847 Ferlo South A3 6844 Guembeul Avifaunal Reserve and St Louis A4i Senegal lagoons Senegal 6851 Joal-Fadiouth A1, A4i Senegal 6854 Kalissaye Avifaunal Reserve A4i Senegal 6850 La Petite Côte A1, A4i Senegal 6842 Lac de Guiers A1, A4i Senegal 6841 Ndiaël basin (including the 'Trois Marigots') A4i, A4iii Senegal 6848 Niayes (from Dakar to St Louis) A4i Senegal 6853 Parc National de Basse Casamance A1, A3 Senegal 6845 Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie A4i Senegal 6849 Parc National des Iles de la Madeleine A4ii Senegal 6855 Parc National du Niokolo-Koba A3 Senegal 6843 River Sénégal (Ntiagar to Richard-Toll) A3, A4i, A4iii Sierra Leone 6831 Lake Sonfon and environs A3 Sierra Leone 6830 Outamba-Kilimi National Park A1, A3 Sierra Leone 6834 Sierra Leone River Estuary A4i, A4iii Sierra Leone 6833 Tingi Hills Non-hunting Forest Reserve A1, A2, A3 Sierra Leone 6837 Yawri Bay A4i, A4iii

Annex 3. Methodology for calculating the Red List Index (RLI).

The RLI is calculated from the number of species in each Red List category (Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered), and the number changing categories between assessments as a result of genuine improvement or deterioration in status (category changes owing to improved knowledge or revised taxonomy are excluded). The original methodology was described in detail in Butchart et al. (2004, 2005), and revised in Butchart et al. (2007): the latter is used here. An RLI value is calculated as follows:

Wc(t,s) RLI  1 s t WEX  N where Wc(t,s) is the weight of category c for species s at time t, which ranges from 1 for Near Threatened to 5 for Extinct (WEX), and N is the number of assessed (non-data deficient) species. Put simply, the number of species in each Red List category is multiplied by the category weight, these products are summed, divided by the maximum possible product (the number of species multiplied by the maximum weight), and subtracted from one. This produces an index that ranges from 0 to 1 (see below).

These conditions are met by back-casting all non-genuine category changes to the year of first assessment (1988 for birds). In other words, we assume that species should have been classified at their current Red List category since 1988, apart from those species for which genuine category changes have occurred, in which case they are assigned to appropriate time periods, corresponding to the dates in which all species were reassessed (see Collar and Andrew 1988, Collar et al. 1994, BirdLife International 2000, BirdLife International 2004, BirdLife International 2008b). To determine these genuine cases, all category changes during 1988-2008 were assigned a ‘reason for change’, allowing genuine ones to be distinguished from those resulting from improved knowledge or taxonomic revisions (see Butchart et al. 2004, 2005, 2007 for further details).

Annex 4. Workshop outcomes—national group work and recommendations

Outputs from the workshop session on national threats, gaps, issues and recommendations from project countries (Cape Verde unable to attend). Conakry, 9 April 2013

Group work -- Countries were asked to answer the following questions:

1 Threats to top ten species / all waterbirds, all migrants, in the country / at particular sites? 2 Protection status of critical sites: corrections and updates 3 Gap sites / possible changes to inventories –reactions; what other sources of data do the compilers need to know about? 4 Mistakes / updates… can the compilers expect more national feedback? By when?

Recommendations -- Countries were asked to answer the following questions:

1 Need to consider how will this report be used; who are the audiences? 2 What are the research / conservation priorities highlighted by this report? – Updating information on (at least) key sites – Collecting threat data on key species – Undertaking pilot studies to address threats – Gap-filling…

Responses:

GROUP WORK—SIERRA LEONE

Q 1 – THREAT TO TOP 10 SPECIES

Threats Mechanisms Sites Affected species Sedimentation Settlement construction SL River estuary Bar-tailed Godwit Land reclamation Curlew sandpiper Contamination Common ringed plover Royal tern Dunlin Mining Zircon mining Yawri Bay Greater flamingo Sand and mud mining SL River Estuary Great-white Pelican (both changing the Curlew sandpiper coastal scape Red knot

Agriculture Mangrove clearing Yawri Bay Great white pelican Royal terns Garganey Fishing Channel fishing S/L River Estuaries Royal terms Use of small-sized nets Yawri bay Greater flamingo Mangrove cutting for fish Great white pelican smoking

Q 2-- PROTECTION STATUS AT CRITICAL SITES SITES Current Protection Status

S/L River Estuary A Ramsar sites with no national protection status Its proposed for protection

Yawri Bay Proposal for Ramsar designation initiated. The minister of fisheries and marine resources recently declared it as a MPA pending parliamentary ratification

Q 3 - GAP SITES  Lake Sonfon  Sherbro River Estuary

Q 4 - UPDATE/MISTAKES  GPS Location of the gap sites are incorrect  Yawri bay is now a marine protected area

GROUP WORK—SIERRA LEONE RECOMMENDATIONS How the report can be used and who are the audiences

Target audience Purpose Local communities For education and sensitization needs.

Government Ministries, Departments and For policy formulation, regulations and support Agencies (EPA, MAFFS &MFMR) Academic institution For Training, research and monitoring Other NGOs For partnership and collaboration

What are the research/conservations priorities highlighted in this report? 1 Updating information  Species – Bird list  Sites protection status  Geographic features eg. GPS point, vegetation Etc.  Threats status 2.Collecting threats data on  Identify and assessing direct and indirect threats key species  Assess temporal and spatial nature of the threats. 3. Undertaken pilot studies to  Carry out studies to assess community activities that directly address threats affect the species on project sites  Carry out studies to assess the potential effect of climate change on the species. 4. Gap filling  Collaborate with other institutions particularly academic institutions, other NGOs and civil society groups to obtain further information on species types and threats.

GROUP WORK FOR THE GAMBIA

SPECIES NAME THREATS Sites

Royal tern Erosion(climate change) Tanji Bird reserve Bar tail godwit Fishing practice Tanbi Wetlands National Park Curlew sand piper Human waste and pollution Great White pelican Ecotourism activities Common ring plover Cutting of mangroves encroachment PROTECTION MEASURES SITES Bird Reserve Tanji Karinti /Bijol Bird Reserve National Park and Ramsar Site Tanbi Wetland National Park

Gaps:

 Niuimi National Park  Bambali  Foday Kunda

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE GAMBIAN GROUP

Q1 –WHAT OR WHO ARE THOSE CONCERN WITH THESE REPORT  The underline Ministers, Department of parks, environment, fisheries, forestry. And relevant NGOs like WABSA, Makasutu Wildlife trust.

Q2- Protection of habitats  Species protection (godwits, cranes, terns etc.)  Monitoring  Pilot project with the local communities (Raising awareness, establishment of woodlots)  Law enforcement  Inventory (surveys, bird counts and nest counting) for information gaps and updating.

COUNTRY : GUINEA-BISSAU

1. THREATS SPECIES THREATS 1. Limosa lapponica  Irresponsible fishing practices 2. Calidris canutus  Irresponsible tourism (with strong engines) 3. Calidris ferrugínea 4. Charadrius hiaticula 5. Calidris alpina 6. Phoenicopterus roseus 7. Pelecanus onocrotalus  Fishing nets 8. Anas querquedula  Shifting agriculture  Mining/road construction 9. Sterna maxima  Fishing  Erosion/tidal dynamics  Collection of eggs and chicks 10. Platalea leucorodia  Destruction of their habitats ADD 11. Balearica pavonina  Decline of agriculture in rice fields  Chicks sale 12. Limosa limosa  Illicit hunting  Decline of agriculture in rice fields  Lack of water in rice fields 13. Phoenicopterus minor  Destruction of their habitats  Irresponsible fishing practices

2. IBAs AND PROTECTION STATUS IBAs identified Protection Status Complete Partial No protection 1. Archipel des Bijagós X  Arquipélago dos Bijagós Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO, 1996)  Protected marine areas (PNMJVP, PNO and AMP/Urok) 2. Mansoa River and Geba X Estuary 3. Tombali, Cumbijã X  Ilot de Melo is located at the Rivers and Ilot de Melo outskirts of the Cantanhez Park 4. Île de Bolama- Rio X  Arquipélago dos Bijagós Biosphere Grande de Buba Reserve (UNESCO, 1996)  Marine reserve 5. Fleuve Cacheu X  Caheu River Natural Mangrove Park 6. Dulombi  Future Park 7. Lagune de Cufada X  Cufada lagoons natural Park  Ramsar site 8. Vendu Tcham X  Future Park 9. Cacine X 10. Cantanhez forests X  Cantanhez National Park ADD 11. N´Tchudé and Djabada X  Green area  Located between two IBAs

Threats Top 10 Migratory Wading birds Level birds Site All sites High tides Spoonbill PNBA only Balsaci Hunting + Pintails Except PNBA + Agriculture + Except PNBA & PND + Mining + + + PNBA, PND & Aftout Drought + + Except PNBA & PND + Sand invasion + Except PNBA & PND +

3. SOURCES OF INFORMATION  ODZH  GPC  INEP  DGFF  UICN  WI  IBAP 4. Gap filling  There is a need to review and revise the list of species 5. Who is the audience of this report  Relevant governmental agencies  NGOs  Communities 6. Priorities for Guinea Bissau  National inventory hotspots (resting, feeding and breeding areas) in the IBAs identified and their status of conservation  Raising awareness at all levels  Rigorous monitoring of the enforcement of laws pertaining to migratory birds  Support for increased rice production which will have a direct impact on species that depend on this type of habitat

Threats and IBAs status in Mauritania +: affected Protection status of IBAs Site Officially protected Actually protected Aftout Whole Some PNBA Whole Whole Chott boul Whole Some PND Whole Whole Gâat Mhmouda None (on process) None Lac d’Aleg None None Lac de Mâl None (on process) None Rkiz None None Tâam de Chlim None None Tâam Naâj None None

Additional data: - Lac de Mâal : Monitoring result from Nov-Dec 2012; - Baie de l’étoile (Part of National Park of Banc d’Arguin): July 2012

Recommendations for Mauritania 1- Send the report to DAPL (Direction des aires protégées), PNBA (Parc national du Banc d’Arguin), PND (Parc national du Diawling), Environmental NGOs ; 2- Update the database on all IBAs in Mauritania at least within 1-3 years; 3- Raise awareness on the existence and relevance of the IBA database; 4- Pilot project to develop a collective management plan for IBAs 5- Monitoring of project impacts

REPUBLIC OF GUINEA

1- Identification of threats (habitats and species) - Sites (habitats)  Mangrove clearance  Unplanned urban expansion  Mining  Agriculture - Species :  Hunting (for food)  Marketing  Fishing – accidental capture 2- Information on Limbelanda Lake (Prefecture of Dabola) located at the outskirts of the National Park of Haut Niger (PNHN) with the presence of a flock of Black kite, herons/egrets and Finfoot 3- Iles Tristao (Khonibenki) sanding (going extinct) 4- Rio Pongo Site (no information) 5- Rio Kapatchez (Monchon plain) - Creation phase of an AMP - Presence of key species – Crowned Crane 6- New site for Guinea. The Mantakan site in the Forecariah Prefecture, Kaback prefecture where there is a large group of terns and herons/egrets) 7- Level of protection: Iles Tristao and Alcatrza are protected areas and the remainder are unprotected.

GUINEA – RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Audience of the report in a country:  Focal point: Wetlands International  Focal point: AEWA  DNEF  OGUIDAP  NGO Guinée Ecologie  NGOs forum  Local communities  Universities  Research centers

2. Research and conservation priorities 2.1. Updated information on the following sites :  Iles Tristao  Rio Kapatchez  Konkouré Delta  Rio Pongo 2.2. Data collection on the threats on the following species  Flamingos  Crowned Crane  Blackwit 2.3 Pilot study on the threats (if applicable) 2.4 Gap filling Two cases: Iles Tristao and Rio Kapatchez. Both necessary for these sites.

SENEGAL

Threats Threats IBA Niayes Langue de Barbarie Kalissaye Urbanization (flooding, pollution, developments, X entertainment, electrification, etc.). Mining (zircon, salt, etc.) X X Coastal dynamics (erosion, X X climate change, etc.)

Proposal of new IBAs  Casamance for the protection of crowned crane and blackwit which have been added to the IUCN Red List since 2000  Mudflats of the Casamance River (Criteria: over 1% of Curlew Sand, Little stint and Ringed Plover populations, March 2013)

For existing IBAs

Sites New species exceeding the 1% threshold Sources Ile Madeleine Great Cormorant DPN Bridled tern Others Cap Vert Cape verde shearwater Senegal seawatching Lesser crested tern website Sandwich tern + 10 more Niayes 10 wader and gull species NCD DPN Others Petite Côte 5 wader and gull species DPN NCD Others

Sources of information  DPN  NCD  ONGs  Researchers  Local government  Websites  Initiatives  Tourism operators  Local populations

Recommendations

1. Who is the audience of the final report Project stakeholders Governmental agencies NGOs Researchers Donors Foundations, etc. IBAs-adjacent communities Cull sections of the report to be adapted to the local needs 2. Research/conservation priorities highlighted in the report  Update IBAs inventory  Training and raising the awareness of local communities  Improved data on threats (urbanization, environmental impact assessments of mining)  Development of national Red List to be updated every three years  Enhancing IBAs through studies conducted at two pilot sites (Palmarin and Technopole)