Building Bridges for Migratory Waterbird Conservation in the Central Asian Flyway
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46 Indian Birds Vol. 1 No. 2 (March-April 2005) SATHIYASELVAM, P. 2004. Nidification and site middle of the woods. 44 (5): 79. February): Backcover. fidelity of the Black-crowned Night SINGH, Baljit. 2004. Comments on the cover THAKUR, Sanjay, and Aparna Watve. 2004. Heron, (Nycticorax nycticorax). 44 (4) photo. 44 (1) (January-February): Report of Lesser Kestrel (Falco (July-August): 63. Backcover. naumanni Fleischer) flock near SAXENA, Rajiv, and Gaurav Parihar. 2004. SINGHA, Hilloljyoti, Amarjit Narayan Dev, Thoseghar, Satara Dt. Maharashtra. 44 (4) Pesticides killing Demoiselle Cranes. 44 Rimpul Hazarika, Kaustoov Gopal (July-August): 60. (3) (May-June): 48. (With one b&w Goswami, and Banita Roy. 2004. Waterfowl TULJAPURKAR, Vijay. 2004. Birds in my photo.). census in Dheer Beel, Assam. 44 (3) garden. 44 (5): 75-78. SHARMA, Arunayan. 2004. Red-necked Grebe (May-June): 45. UTTANGI, J. C. 2004. Non-stop call of the (Podiceps griseigena) in West Bengal, a SIVAKUMAR, S., and Vibhu Prakash. 2004. Coppersmith, (Megalaima correction. 44 (1) (January-February): 15. Miscellaneous breeding information of haemacephala) observed lasting for —. 2004. Asian Koels are the first caller birds Collared Falconet Microhierax seven minutes in Dharwad urbans. 44 (2) of the day. 44 (2) (March-April): 29-30. caerulescens. 44 (4) (July-August): 57-58. (March-April): 29. (With two text-figs.). SRIDHAR, S. 2004. A note from the publisher: —. 2004. Robbing of eggs by female Koel, SHIVAPRAKASH, A. 2004. Nature trai in Anshi E. Hanumantha Rao no more. 44 (2) from the nest of Red-whiskered Bulbul forest area, North Kanara District, (March-April): 19. (Pycnonotus jocosus). 44 (5): 77. Karnataka. 44 (2) (March-April): 30-31. SUBBARAO, Pramod. 2004. Black headed VERGHESE, Abraham. 2004. Birdwatching in —. 2004. Occurrence of the Rusty-tailed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala) at Srilanka. 44 (5): 71-72. Flycatcher (Muscicapa ruficauda) in the Daroji, Karnataka. 44 (1) (January- Building bridges for migratory waterbird conservation in the Central Asian Flyway Taej Mundkur Wetlands International - South Asia, A-25, 2nd Floor, Defence Colony, New Delhi 110024, India. Email: [email protected] he Central Asian Flyway (CAF) covers endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper pressures coupled with legal and illegal Tthe large continental area of Eurasia Eurynorhynchus pygmaeus, vulnerable hunting of birds have resulted in the decline between the Arctic and Indian Oceans. This Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis and local extinction of many waterbird Flyway comprises several important and and Relict Gull Larus relictus, and Black- populations. overlapping migration routes for the winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni, Management and conservation of different species of waterbirds, most of Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus and waterbird populations requires precise and which extend from the northern breeding Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus up-to-date information on their populations grounds in Siberia to South and Southwest semipalmatus are largely restricted to the and trends. Information on the status and Asia. Geographically the flyway includes an region although their non-breeding ranges trends of most waterbird populations in the area from the frigid arctic coastline and overlap with adjoining flyways. CAF area is limited and outdated. Actions offshore islands of Siberia to the Other migratory waterbird species pass to promote collection of data and their southernmost non-breeding (wintering) through this region on their annual analysis at the flyway and national level are grounds in the Maldives and the British migrations within flyways that connect the urgently needed to provide the basis for Indian Ocean Territory of Dio Garcia, thus northern Central Asian countries with South improving the knowledge base. incorporating about 30 countries of Central, East Asia and Australasia (the East Asian- As the birds cross international borders East and South Asia and the Trans- Australasian Flyway), Africa and Europe of several countries and provide a link Caucasus. (the East African Flyway), and the Indian between the peoples of CAF region, the The CAF covers at least 274 migratory Ocean to the south. responsibility for the well-being and waterbird populations of 175 species, The CAF comprises large semi-arid conservation of these species and for the including 26 globally threatened and near- habitats with a limited number of wetlands, sustainable use of their habitats rests with threatened species that breed, migrate and particularly in the staging areas of Central all countries. Management of waterbird spend the non-breeding (winter) period Asia and different groups of migratory habitats requires coordinated multi-sectoral within the region. Species such as the waterbirds appear to overlap considerably planning and implementation to realise the critically threatened Sociable Plover Vanellus in the usage of important sites. While recent needs of biodiversity conservation and local gregarious, vulnerable Black-necked Crane work on satellite telemetry and years of people. Grus nigricollis and Indian Skimmer ringing of birds has yielded some Many countries in the CAF have Rynchops albicollis, Bar-headed Goose information, very little is known about the developing economies with inadequate Anser indicus, Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha precise migration routes and staging areas allocation of resources for research and struthersii, and Brownheaded Gull Larus of most species. conservation and for involvement of local brunnicephalus are completely (or largely) Rapid human population growth and stakeholders in sustainable management of restricted to the CAF region. development across the region has wetlands, grasslands, and other habitats. In In addition, the breeding ranges of some dramatically increased pressure on intertidal addition, changes in political systems and species, including the critically threatened and freshwater wetlands, grasslands and instabilities in some countries, language and Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus, Slender- other habitats, which has resulted in their other barriers have not enabled strong billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris, degradation, pollution, and loss. The habitat cooperation to be developed between Indian Birds Vol. 1 No. 2 (March-April 2005) 47 agencies in all the flyway countries to Between 10 and 13 June 2005, to promote conservation of migratory cooperate in information sharing, research representatives of the 30 CAF countries, waterbirds in the Central Asian Flyway. and conservation activities. international agencies, non-government Besides this, it is anticipated that the The first meeting of the governments of organisations and technical experts will meeting will result in increased interaction the CAF was organized in Tashkent, converge at the prestigious India Habitat and cooperation between governments, Uzbekistan, in August 2001. The meeting Centre in New Delhi for a three-day meeting. conventions, technical experts and was very successful in recognising the The Wildlife Institute of India and Wetlands conservationists from countries in the importance of cooperation and the need for International are providing logistic support flyway as a basis for promoting concrete an International Action Plan that outlines for the event. actions to ensure the conservation of regional priorities for action to conserve One of the main outputs of the Meeting migratory waterbirds and their habitats. migratory waterbirds and their habitats. will be to have endorsed a Central Asian In addition to this, a side meeting on 12 Over the last few years, various efforts Flyway Action Plan to Conserve Migratory June of range states is being held to discuss have been made to bring the main players Waterbirds and their Habitats and to agree and endorse the Proposed Western / together again to culminate this planning on the international framework under which Central Asian Site Network for Siberian work. The breakthrough was the kind it will be promoted. Wetlands International Cranes (and other waterbirds), with logistic invitation of the Ministry of Environment on behalf of CMS has prepared the Action support from the International Crane and Forests, India to host a meeting that Plan. Foundation. The meeting is being held would be held under the auspices of the The proposed Action Plan calls for a wide under the auspices of the CMS Convention on Migratory Species of Wild range of actions at the flyway and national Memorandum of Agreement for the Animals (CMS). levels, including improved legislation for Conservation of the Siberian Crane, which species, regulations on hunting, habitat provides a framework for the conservation management, training, education and of this threatened species. It is proposed awareness, and species monitoring. In that the Siberian Crane Site Network will be addition, it calls for the establishment of a a forerunner for a larger migratory waterbird network of internationally important sites network that will be established under the proposed Central Asian Flyway Action Plan. For those interested in more detailed information on the two meetings, all documentation will be available on the CMS websites: http://www.cms.int/bodies/ meetings/regional/caf/caf_meeting.htm and <http://www.cms.int/bodies/meetings/ regional/site_network/asian_meeting.htm. The real success of these initiatives will be fully realised through the active participation of people in all countries of the CAF. We are hopeful that the New Delhi meetings will be a landmark event in building new international bridges of hope for the conservation of our migratory waterbirds and their habitats. Errata: Indian Birds (Vol. 1 No. 1). 1. Page 9, column 1, line 8: Change ‘leuconogenys’ to leucogenys. 2. Page 9, column 1, line 13: Change ‘Myiophonus’ to Myophonus. 3. Page 9, column 1, line 27: Change ‘cryniger’ to crinigera. 4. Page 9, column 2, line 27: Change ‘Orilus orilus’ to Oriolus oriolus. 5. Page 16, column 1, paragraph 3: Delete. 6. Page 16, column 1, paragraph 4: Treat as caption for sketch on same page. 7. The sketches on pages 4, 14 and 23 are by Sachin Jaltaré..