Conservation – a History

JAMES A. KUSHLAN 3109 Grand Avenue, #618, Coconut Grove, Florida, 33133, USA

Email: [email protected] Abstract.—Herons comprise a distinctive family of , the Ardeidae, adapted to living in aquatic environments. The history of in human culture dates back at least 4,000 years, continuing through successive cultures. Through the millennia, hunting herons for sport, food, or feathers has been one of the more enduring conserva- tion issues for the group. Killing for their feathers initiated the modern conservation era in the United States and Europe. Overall, protection of nesting sites and feeding habitats has been, and remains, a significant theme in heron conservation. Owing to their longevity, wetland dependence, and site specificity, herons have been proposed as potential indicators of environmental conditions and trends. It has been recognized that landscape and regional con- servation action is the most effective conservation tool for most species, but several species and populations have been identified as being at risk and requiring special species- and population-level planning and action. To facilitate the conservation of herons, HeronConservation, the Heron Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, was founded in 1982 and has since led global engagement in heron conservation through communica- tion, networking, technical syntheses, and action planning and facilitation. Received 30 April 2017 accepted, 2 May 2018. Key words.—Ardeidae, conservation, , endangered species, heron, history, wading , waterbird, wetlands. Waterbirds 41(4): 345-354, 2018

Herons, egrets, and bitterns comprise a Many heron species were apparently well distinctive family of birds (Ardeidae; here- adjusted to cohabitation of water courses as after referred to as herons) characterized they became populated with humans and by their relatively long legs, necks, bills, and so became part of everyday human life. In toes; powder down; pectinate toe nails; and ancient Egypt, they were called Benu and other adaptations for living in the aquatic were the most frequently illustrated birds in environment and feeding in water (Kushlan surviving images from ancient Egypt (Hart and Hancock 2005). Although there are no- 2005). They were generally depicted within table variations of this evolutionary theme, Nile wetlands and associated with birth and their distinctiveness makes most species read- the sun, playing a part in the Egyptian cre- ily recognizable as herons. Because many spe- ation story (Hart 2005). Herons figured cies in this group frequent human-dominat- similarly in the origin story of the Aztecs, ed landscapes, herons have been recorded who before settling down wandered for cen- far back in human history and continue to turies from their home place of Aztlan, “the occupy places within local cultural traditions. place of the heron” (thought to be present Their conservation has been a matter of con- day San Blas) (Andrews 2003). In Greek my- cern since the 1200s but has grown in prior- thology, they were messengers from Athena ity since the early 1900s as a result of popula- (Jashemski and Meyer 2002; Homer 2004). tion declines due to plume hunting, concern Herons and their behavior became sym- for effects of chemical contaminant and the bolic for grace, calmness, beauty, solitude, loss and functional modification of habitat. patience, and resilience. The Egyptian This article traces the conservation issues and heron hieroglyph represented both “vigi- history of heron conservation, notably docu- lance” and “rising”, showing an apprecia- menting for the first time the history of Her- tion for Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) behavior onConservation, the Heron Specialist Group as it feeds by standing and waiting invisibly of the International Union for Conservation tucked away in the reeds, noticeable only of Nature (IUCN). when it startlingly takes flight. It has been speculated that the heron’s story of rising HERONS IN HUMAN ANTIQUITY from the marshes was transferred to Greek as the phoenix, a tale Herodotus transcribed The history of herons within human cul- from Egypt in the 5th century B.C. (Lecocq ture spans millennia, at least 4,000 years. 2009). In China, herons were a symbol of 345

Downloaded From: https://bioone.org/journals/Waterbirds on 08 Mar 2019 Terms of Use: https://bioone.org/terms-of-use Access provided by SPIE 346 WATERBIRDS ascension. In Maori culture, the Eastern herons were valued in that they were used Great Egret (Ardea modesta), “Kotuku”, was a as quarry for falconry. Emperor Frederick spiritual messenger and object of beauty, its II of Hohenstaufenin’s De Arte Venandi cum feathers being worn only by chieftains. His- Avibus from the first half of the 1200s, es- torically, as now, Eastern Great Egrets were sentially the first ornithology text, describes likely rare in prehistoric New Zealand and as how they were hunted (Anker 1979; Wood such highly prized (Hutching 2016). In Ja- and Fyfe 1961). Because of their value as pan, herons have been honored as associates falconry quarry throughout the European of rice and for symbolizing grace and beauty Middle Ages, herons were valued by nobles (Werness 2003; Mashiko and Toquenaga and protected within their hunting reserves 2013). Not all of the heron’s attributes were from commoners. viewed so nobly; they were also seen as cow- ardly in their tendency to flee rather than HUNTING fight. A mid-1300s poem, Voeux du héron, de- picts Robert III d’Artois inciting England’s Killing of herons for sport, as food, as Edward III to war by making a chivalric oath pests, or for their feathers has been one of over a cooked heron, which was meant to the most enduring and impactful themes in represent the English king’s cowardliness to heron conservation history. Theoretically, as fight (Grigsby and Lacy 1992; Baker 2000). a long-lived , herons would be expect- Although it is doubtful that a roasted heron ed not to tolerate excessive adult mortality was actually involved in initiating the Hun- and so hunting and other killing pose a po- dred Years’ War, the poem remains a notable tentially serious conservation threat. Herons literary appearance for herons. were among the protein fare of the Middle Herons were depicted in Greek and Ro- Ages (Abramson 2004); 400 herons were man pottery and mosaics and in Japanese served at a single banquet in 1465 (Hibbert drawings and culture. The White Heron 1987). But with few adequate weapons other Dance, Shirasagi-no-Mai, in which dancers than falcons available to hunters and herons become herons, likely Little Egrets ( being prized by the aristocracy, their killing garzetta), in a careful imitation of the herons’ would likely have been localized, infrequent postures, walking, and feeding behaviors, and probably having minimal population- originated over a thousand years ago at Ya- level impact. But as hunting methods be- saka Shrine in Kyoto, Japan. The performers came more lethal and more widely available, parade to ward off human and crop disease localized effects from hunting likely oc- (Matsumura 2013). Although the dance was curred. As a recent example, during and af- passed around to different places over the ter World War II, residents of the Camargue centuries, it is best known in its resurrected in southern France began eating Little Egret form, which since the 1960s has been per- and Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax formed for tourists in Tokyo, Japan, where, nycticorax) chicks, starting a tradition that as is not atypical for herons’ muddled cul- continued long after the food crisis waned tural history, the dancers are called cranes. (Yeates 1950; Voisin 1991). The most defini- In most of these historic settings, there tive information on population-level hunt- is little to suggest that herons enjoyed any ing effects comes from islands where isolated overt protections, nor was there likely much heron populations disappeared coincident need as they have always been relatively com- with the arrival of humans (Kushlan and mon and, being wary, not easily killed by Hancock 2005). Herons have been, and in ancient methods. There are exceptions, of some cases still are, hunted in places such as course. Hindu communities and Maha Rajas China, Mali, Madagascar, India, and south- in India and royalty in Japan protected colo- ern Europe (Kushlan and Hafner 2000). nies for generations (Spillett 1968; Peren- Herons also have a long history of being nou et al. 2000; Kushlan and Hancock 2005; killed as pests. Throughout history, people K. Matsunaga, pers. commun.). In Europe, have often had trouble sharing their fish

Downloaded From: https://bioone.org/journals/Waterbirds on 08 Mar 2019 Terms of Use: https://bioone.org/terms-of-use Access provided by SPIE HERON CONSERVATION HISTORY 347 with birds. Although local predator control within reach of well-armed American back- at scattered fish ponds or fishing sites prob- woodsmen and Native Americans. ably had little population-level effect over the Aigrettes, once off the bird, kept well, centuries, such mortality intensified greatly weighed little, and shipped easily via trade over the past century as commercial fishing routes leading from local hunter to trading and aquaculture increased worldwide, high- post, to consolidator, to shipper, to factories in powered guns became more widely available, London, Paris, New York, Berlin and Vienna, few protective measures were in place, and, in and finally to the tops of ladies’ hats. In 1902, fact, such predator control in many locations a tabulation was made of the London plume was legally permitted if not encouraged by season from which it can be calculated that governments. Until the 1970s, tens of thou- over 192,000 egrets were killed for their feath- sands of herons were killed annually in Eu- ers that year (Ehrlich et al. 1988). Around Par- rope (Marion 2000). In the 1980s, over 4,000 is, nearly 10,000 people were employed in the Grey Herons were being killed annually in millinery trade, and in America the trade em- the United Kingdom alone, about equal the ployed one of every 1,000 workers (Ehrlich et population’s annual productivity (Marion et al. 1988). Historically, any efforts to protect al. 2000). In 2011-2013, in the United States, herons came up against economically and po- over 20,000 Great Blue Herons (Ardea hero- litically powerful opponents. dias), 14,000 Cattle Egrets (A. ibis), 12,000 The first concerted effort at heron conser- Great Egrets, and 2,000 Snowy Egrets (E. vation was the founding of the Plumage League thula) were officially reported killed at aqua- in London in 1889, which was an attempt to culture facilities (Bale and Knudson 2015); stop feather use by influencing custom and such killing was potentially under-reported. law. In the United States, ornithologists, muse- Most studies have shown consumption of fish um curators, and journalists followed the Brit- by herons at fish farms to be low in absolute ish lead and began publicizing egret slaughter, impact, relatively low contrasted with other leading to the creation of many local Audubon losses, relatively low contrasted to other fish- societies and the American Ornithologists’ eating birds, and often focused on unharvest- Union Model Law for States to follow in pro- able stock (Marion 2000; Glahn et al. 2002). tecting birds. Once States passed protective Despite limited scientific justification and laws, the Federal government was able to use counter-measures being available, killing of its authority to regulate interstate commerce fish-eating birds as pests continues worldwide. to prohibit interstate shipment of birds taken This mortality continues to pose challenges contrary to State law (Kushlan 2012). This in- for conservation of local heron populations. tervention was followed by the Migratory Bird Historically, herons were also killed for Treaty Act that asserted direct Federal control their feathers, especially the elaborate court- of migratory birds (Kushlan 2012). The Plum- ship plumes of some species, some of which age League became the Royal Society for the are called egrets because of their plumes, or Protection of Birds, which now has over a mil- aigrettes. No doubt plume hunting goes back lion members (Adams 2004). The Audubon as far in human history as there were war- movement coalesced through the National As- riors, chiefs, nobles and priests who needed sociation of Audubon Societies in 1905, later to be impressively decorated. Although for evolving into the National Audubon Society, centuries hunting for the few rich and pow- the symbol of which remains a flying Great erful probably had little population-level im- Egret (Graham 1990). Hunting egrets for pact, by the mid to late 1800s, many others their feathers and the conservation initiatives became wealthy enough to care about their that resulted from it were the foundation for clothing and also wanted feathers, issuing in the modern conservation movement in Eu- an era of worldwide slaughter of egrets. In rope and the United States, and eventually to Europe, Little and Great egret colonies were the wider environmental protection policies, devastated, as they were in Asia and Austra- legislation, and international conservation lia. In the Americas, pristine colonies were treaties that followed.

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PESTICIDES POPULATION MONITORING

Most, although not all, heron popula- An important result of herons’ appar- tions rebounded with the end of plume ent resiliency with respect to contaminants hunting, slowly repopulating and reclaim- is that herons became candidates for assess- ing their historic ranges. But by the late ment of long-term sub-lethal population 1940s, herons and other top aquatic preda- level effects of contaminants, which in turn tors, such as cormorants and terns, were required that their populations be inven- found to face a new challenge, organo- toried and then monitored. In the United chlorine pesticides. Eggshell thinning was States, this effort began with surveys of her- found to have occurred in Great Blue Her- on colonies along the Atlantic coast by the ons and Black-crowned Night-Herons, and Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Custer other chemicals, such as dieldrin, were and Osborn 1977; Kushlan and White 1977; found to cause direct mortality of adult her- Custer et al. 1980), followed by a compendia ons (Custer 2000). It turned out that de- of status and trends in other areas (Spen- spite eggshell thinning, Great Blue Heron delow and Patton 1988; Butler et al. 2000). mortality rates of adults did not increase, Monitoring of various sorts continued at in- and there were no widespread population tervals at local, State, and regional levels and decreases owing to organochlorine pesti- over several decades a diversity of waterbird cides (Custer 2000). This history of organo- colony inventory and monitoring activities chlorine impacts led to increased scrutiny emerged as did a growing consensus on ac- of other potential environmental contami- ceptable methodology (Kushlan 2011; U.S. nants, such as organophosphate and car- Fish and Wildlife Service 2016). Existing bonate pesticides, metals, and petroleum. data sets have proven adequate to infer pop- Poisoning events from such chemicals too ulation sizes and trends, albeit mostly with have been shown to have only localized ef- unknown accuracy, and to make realistic fects on herons (Custer 2000). assessments (Kushlan et Owing to their wetland dependence, site al. 2002; North American Bird Conservation specificity, and longevity, herons have been Initiative 2009, 2016; Rush et al. 2015). In repeatedly proposed as suitable indicators Great Britain, population estimation is even of environmental conditions, particularly more exact and long term given country- in wetlands (Kushlan 1993). Some of the wide monitoring of colony sites by the British non-chemical indicators of environmental Trust for Ornithology (British Trust for Or- conditions measured via herons include nithology 2018). Various censuses in Europe mortality, distributional changes, breed- through the decades have produced a quite ing population changes, wintering popula- clear estimate of populations and permitted tion changes, reproductive performance, recognition of range changes (Voisin 1991; growth rates of young, parasite load, and Hafner 2000a; Marion et al. 2000; Fasola et diets (Erwin and Custer 2000). The jury al. 2010). Inventories have also occurred in remains out on how well herons and other many other parts of the world, and repeated birds actually can serve as indicators, which counts have more recently allowed analysis of course depends upon carefully dissect- of trends for parts of India, China, Japan, ing exactly what an indicator is meant to be and Africa (Subramanya 1996; Liang et al. indicating and its statistical efficacy at mea- 2006; Mashiko and Toquenaga 2013; Hare- suring change (Kushlan 1993). However, bottle 2018). herons continue to be considered a useful option for system-level environmental mon- itoring; certainly if herons are doing poorly, HABITAT CONSERVATION so is the environment; however, given her- ons’ adaptability, the converse is not neces- Worldwide, habitat protection and its ap- sarily true. propriate management have proven to be

Downloaded From: https://bioone.org/journals/Waterbirds on 08 Mar 2019 Terms of Use: https://bioone.org/terms-of-use Access provided by SPIE HERON CONSERVATION HISTORY 349 the highest priority for heron conservation value, which has led to heron colonies and (Kushlan 2007). This concern can be divid- other heron habitat being included in areas ed into site protection, especially for colony recognized, and hopefully preserved and nesting species, and foraging habitat conser- managed, for their conservation importance vation, which ranges over much larger areas (Ramsar 2016; BirdLife International 2018). and involves conservation not only of habitat It also is clear that from historic times, area but of ecological function (Perennou et colonies occur and can prosper at sites that al. 1996; Hafner 2000b; Kushlan 2000). are frequented by people (Hafner 2000b). Experience has shown that site manage- This paradox has been found to be the result ment for colonies and roosts requires pro- of birds habituating to disturbance that is re- active planning and implementation to be peated, controlled, and non-threatening. In effective (Hafner 2000b), so methods will India, in the 1990s, 46% of heron colonies differ among sites depending on site veg- were near villages or cities, which, although etation and factors that affect it. It has also within highly altered environments, are loca- been proven possible to create artificial col- tions at which the local communities offer ony sites, one of the first being Bird City, in protection (Perennou et al. 2000). Louisiana, created in 1895 during the plume Some herons, such as the three great her- hunting era (McIlhenny 1939). Hafner’s cre- ons (Ardea spp.), night herons, ation of an artificial colony in the south of tiger herons, and bitterns, nest singly or in France in the 1970s inspired others to at- well-dispersed clusters (Kushlan and Han- tempt similar management (Hafner 1982, cock 2005). Nesting site conservation for 2000b). dispersed nesting species is more expansive At its most fundamental, colony and roost than colony site protection, requiring pro- site protection involves eliminating threats tection of entire habitat blocks and nesting from disturbance by entering, hunting, or marshes, as well as their management of hy- egg taking. One of the more important con- drology and of competitive use. When such a cepts to develop from studies of disturbance species has become threateningly rare, such over the last few decades is the concomitant as the case of the White-bellied Heron (A. need for a security (or buffer) zone around insignis) and White-eared Night-Heron (Gor- a colony so as to provide sufficient isolation sachius magnificus) then individual nest site of the herons to proceed with their nest site protection and management becomes cru- selection, courtship, nesting, and roosting cial (White-bellied Heron Working Group uninhibited by disturbance (Rodgers and 2015). Smith 1995; Hafner 2000b). The impor- Foraging site conservation is even more tance of colony site protection was recently difficult than nest and roost site protection emphasized in studies of the Agami Heron (Kushlan 1981, 1986a, 1986b, 1997). Most (Agamia agami), a species extremely sensi- herons feed in the aquatic environment us- tive to disturbance, which has been found to ing a limited repertoire of behaviors and nest in few relatively large colonies through- prey, mostly fish and invertebrates, that must out its range, such that each site is crucial in be available in numbers, sizes, species, and servicing an expansive regional population water depths that allow herons to access them (Stier et al. 2017). efficiently (Kushlan 1978). In many habitats, Fortunately, in North America and Eu- availability changes with water depths or wa- rope, many if not most major heron colony ter flow such that individual feeding sites sites are located within parks, refuges and may be available for only a part of the year, other public lands, or on private lands man- sometimes for only a few weeks or days at a aged as reserves. National Important Bird time. To the extent that this variation in prey Area programs and identification of wet- availability is caused by natural cycles of rain- lands of international importance under the fall and hydrology, herons are able to use Ramsar Convention have been critical pro- these resources in a predictable way. When cesses identifying wetlands of conservation human management of water interferes with

Downloaded From: https://bioone.org/journals/Waterbirds on 08 Mar 2019 Terms of Use: https://bioone.org/terms-of-use Access provided by SPIE 350 WATERBIRDS the natural pattern, active management of lied Heron Working Group 2015), Malagasy wetlands is required to accommodate the Heron (A. humbloti), Chinese Egret (E. eulo- needs of herons. Accomplishing this has not photes), Reddish Egret (E. rufescens) (Wilson proven to be a politically or fiscally easy task. et al. 2012), Slaty Egret (E. vinaceigula) (Tyler However, many highly managed wetlands 2011), Malagasy Pond Heron (Ardeola idae), have proven entirely adequate to support White-eared Night-Heron (Fellowes et al. feeding habitat for herons. 2001; He et al. 2016), Japanese Night-Heron Loss and alteration of habitat and eco- (Gorsachius goisagi) (Hamaguchi et al. 2014), system functioning has markedly affected New Guinea Tiger Heron (Zonerodius heliosy- heron populations worldwide (Kushlan lus), and Agami Heron (Stier and Kushlan 1989, 1992, 2000, 2007). In the United 2015). Attention to some of these species States, swamp drainage was national policy through research and especially dedicated for a century, set in motion by the Swamp species specialist groups is increasing under- Act of 1850, leading to massive loss of her- standing and leading to initiation of conser- on habitat. Conversely, wetland protection, vation actions. management, and restoration have provided habitat. Drainage, diversion, hydropower, diking, water management practices, water HERON CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS use, development, and coastal management all determine the utility of a wetland to her- Through the mid part of the 20th cen- ons. Historic trends show little sign of deac- tury, conservation became increasingly in- celerating. stitutionalized through national legislation, Herons have benefitted from initiatives, increased authority and scientific ground- programs, plans, projects, national land pro- ing of wildlife agencies, the engagement of tection, and international agreements that international organizations, and the imple- protect wetlands and other landscapes they mentation of international migratory spe- use. Because few herons require directed cies conventions. Over 35 years ago, in 1981, species-specific conservation action, most the Heron Specialist Group was organized heron conservation has taken place within to take advantage of such national and in- the context of conservation action on the ternational conservation networks. After landscape scale for broader purposes than its founding, it was accepted as a research for herons alone (Kushlan 2007). Over the group by the International Waterfowl Re- last century, large areas of wetlands in the search Bureau, as a specialist group by the United States and throughout the world International Council for Bird Protection, have been set aside as parks, reserves, and and as a specialist group by what was then refuges, all of which have the potential to known as the World Conservation Union benefit herons, if managed appropriately. (now the IUCN) (Hafner et al. 1986; Haf- ner and Kushlan 1990, 1996; Kushlan and Hafner 1991, 1993). The Heron Specialist SPECIES CONSERVATION Group was headquartered first at Station Bi- ologique Tour du Valat, Arles, France, from Notwithstanding the overriding need for 1981 to 2005, before transitioning to the landscape and regional conservation, some USA and becoming HeronConservation. heron species and populations are of such Participating in the governance and pro- conservation concern as to have required grams of its partner organizations, the Her- special species- and population-level action. on Specialist Group held leadership roles in Several species, as well as over two dozen the International Waterbird and Wetlands populations, are considered to be of con- Research Bureau and Wetlands Internation- servation concern due to known threats or al, and supported Wetlands International in lack of information (Kushlan 2007). These population estimation for herons, and Bird- include the White-bellied Heron (White-bel- Life and IUCN’s Red List process. As the

Downloaded From: https://bioone.org/journals/Waterbirds on 08 Mar 2019 Terms of Use: https://bioone.org/terms-of-use Access provided by SPIE HERON CONSERVATION HISTORY 351 Group’s primary partnership has been with national wetland conservation funding, and IUCN’s Species Survival Commission, it has State programs. participated in its planning, reporting, and Formal participation by those concerned taxon leadership. Through these activities, about heron conservation at both the global the Group allowed the message of heron and national scales over the past several de- conservation to be elevated and included cades has served to institutionalize heron in international and national deliberations, conservation. In this way, the conservation goals, and projects. needs of herons may be recognized along Being primarily a communication and with those of other waterbirds and other spe- linkage network, the Group’s tangible prod- cies. As there are few instances, albeit impor- ucts were those derived from its worldwide tant ones, where single species conservation information-sharing network such as biolog- efforts are practical for herons, embedding ical monographs (Herons Handbook and The the needs of herons within larger frame- Herons) and conservation syntheses such as works of regional conservation planning and Heron Conservation (Hancock and Kushlan implementation has proven to provide the 1984; Kushlan and Hafner 2000; Kushlan most effective approach to the conservation and Hancock 2005). Global action plans of these species. have also been published, at approximately

5-year intervals (Hafner et al. 1996; Hafner ACKNOWLEDGMENTS and Kushlan 2002; Kushlan 2007), with re- source information eventually moving on- This paper is based on a plenary presentation in- line (HeronConservation 2018). vited on the occasion of the Herons of the World Sym- posium at the 40th anniversary of the Waterbird Society The activities of HeronConservation are and in anticipation of the 35th anniversary of the IUCN globally oriented, and it is worthwhile to Heron Specialist Group. I thank conference organizers note that bird conservation in the USA has Sara Schweitzer, Clay Green, and Chip Weseloh. And had a trajectory apart from that of the inter- I thank Clay Green, Tina Knezevic, Chip Weseloh and national bird conservation community as a anonymous reviewers for comments and editorial ad- vice. whole, a trajectory that influenced approach- es to bird conservation in the rest of the LITERATURE CITED Western Hemisphere. There, in the 1990s, bird conservation began to be organized Abramson, M. W. 2004. Food in medieval times. Green- around taxon-based partnerships (Brown et wood Press, Westport, Colorado. al. 2001; Rich et al. 2004, U.S. Fish and Wild- Adams, W. M. 2004. Against extinction: the story of con- life Service and Canadian Wildlife Service servation. Earthscan, London, U.K. Andrews, J. R. 2003. Introduction to classical Nahuatl, 2012). In response to the desire to put the revised ed. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, conservation needs of waterbirds in a simi- Oklahoma. lar context to that of other taxa, the North Anker, J. 1979. Bird books and bird art. Springer American Waterbird Conservation Initiative Science+Business Media BV, Berlin, Germany. organized and undertook a multinational Baker, D. N. 2000. Inscribing the Hundred Years’ War in French and English cultures. State University of planning effort in which herons figured New York Press, Albany, New York. prominently (Kushlan et al. 2002). The vari- Bale, R. and T. Knudson. 2015. Shot and gassed: thou- ous taxon-oriented initiatives came together sands of protected birds killed annually. Reveal, Em- in the North American Bird Conservation eryville, California. https://www.revealnews.org/ Initiative, which has served to organize bird article/shot-and-gassed-thousands-of-protected- birds-killed-annually/, accessed 3 March 2018. conservation efforts, including efforts for BirdLife International. 2018. Key biodiversity areas herons and other waterbirds (Kushlan et al. (KBAs) and important bird and diversity areas 2002), on the continent (Yaich et al. 2000; (IBAs). http://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/pro- North American Bird Conservation Initia- grammes/sites-habitats-ibas-and-kbas, accessed 3 tive 2016). As a result of this engagement, March 2018. British Trust for Ornithology. 2018. Heronries census. herons became a conservation concern to https://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/heronries- wetland managers, joint venture planning, census, accessed 3 March 2018.

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