to live on a healthy planet. healthy a on live to

JULY-SEPTEMBER 2020 JULY-SEPTEMBER Let’s make it a human right human a it make Let’s

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BirdLife International is the world’s largest nature conservation partnership. Through our unique local-to-global approach, we deliver high impact and long term conservation for the benefit of nature and people EDITORIAL

P.28 HOW ARE WE TACKLING THE THREAT OF ILLEGAL BIRD TRADE IN ASIA? Photo © Tim Plowden/ www.timplowden.co.uk Tim Plowden/ © Photo

ONE PLANET. ONE RIGHT. ONE VISION

There’s still very much an ‘us and them’ attitude when it comes to humans and nature. For many, nature has a sense of ‘otherness’ – something they can go and enjoy in a park, or a garden, but ultimately something very detached from their actual lives. But ultimately, we are animals, so we are nature too, and our collective negligence of our planet’s health is proving fatal not just to what we consider the ‘natural world’, but to us, too. Millions of humans die every year as a result of environmental harm. Not in the future, not in 2030, but in the here and now. Reconnecting that link in people’s hearts and minds is one of the long-term goals of our One Planet, One Right campaign.

Our coverage begins on page 10. But our commitment to advancing the conversation goes beyond the pages of this magazine. Our ongoing Green Recovery Webinar series plays to BirdLife’s strength as a convener, bringing together thought leaders across governments, business and youth movements for a series of daring discussions on the future of our planet. Why not head to youtube.com/user/BirdLifeVideo to catch up on what you’ve missed? Alex Dale, Editor

CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE

DAVID BOYD PHILIPPE SANDS YANN ROUXEL Our campaign has already garnered considerable Our One Planet campaign has had valuable input Changing gears, we once again turn our attention support, not least from Dr David Boyd – the UN’s and support from Professor Philippe Sands, a to BirdLife’s Marine team, who routinely deliver Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the prominent international human rights barrister. innovative and resourceful solutions to the issues Environment. On page 14, he speaks to BirdLife Philippe shares his thoughts on a natural healthy birds face at sea. Yann, our Seabird Bycatch on the challenges that lie ahead – and how we can environment as a human right, and our planet’s Project Coordinator, reports on one of their overcome them. prospects, on page 22. strangest looking inventions to date on page 44.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 3 CONTENTS

SHARE THE LOVE

Give the gift of birds with a yearly subscription to BirdLife: The Magazine. Delivering the latest conservation breakthroughs, discoveries and insights, straight from the field to your door, it’s the perfect gift for the bird lover in your life.

www.birdlife.org/sharethelove Hennessy/Shutterstock Ray Photo

CONTRIBUTORS: Rachel Gartner, Justine Guiny, Jeremy Herry, Jessica Law, James Lowen, Mireia Peris, Christopher Sands, Cressida Stevens, Kate Tointon

SCIENCE CONSULTANTS Tris Allinson, Chris Bowden, Ian Burfield, Stuart Butchart, Mike Crosby, Richard Grimmett, Melanie Heath, Anuj Jain, JUL-SEP 2020 Noelle Kumpel, Jenny Lau, Roger Safford, Katie Sims, Wim Van den Bossche NUMBER 2 VOLUME 42 ISSN 2519-4658 FRONT COVER via HEX Digital – hexdigital.com

EDITOR Alex Dale [email protected] OFFICERS OF BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL DEPUTY EDITOR Shaun Hurrell President Emeritus Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan Honorary President Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado of Japan The views expressed are those of the contributors Honorary Vice-Presidents Baroness Young of Old Scone (UK), Gerard A Bertrand (USA), A. P. Leventis (UK), Ben Olewine IV and Peter Johan Schei and not necessarily those of BirdLife International. Chief Executive Patricia Zurita, Chairman Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias Treasurer Nick Prentice

ART EDITOR Richard Hood Printed by On Demand Print Services Ltd COUNCIL OF BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL Printed on processed chlorine-free paper made from at least 80% Africa Achilles Byaruhanga (Uganda), Claudia Feltrup-Azafzaf (Tunisia) and Mark Anderson (South Africa), Asia Sarath Wimalabandara Kotagama post-consumer waste recycled fibre. (Sri Lanka) and Shawn Lum (Singapore), Americas David O’Neill (USA), Rosabel Miró (Panama) and Alberto Yanosky (Paraguay), Europe Gergő Halmos (Hungary), Vera Voronova (Kazakhstan) and Philippe Funcken (Belgium), Middle East Yehya Khaled (Jordan) and Assad Adel Serhal To advertise in BIRDLIFE please contact Jim Lawrence, (Lebanon), Pacific Kevin Hague (New Zealand) and Paul Sullivan (Australia) Mobile: +44(0) 7831 187 057 Email: [email protected] GLOBAL ADVISORY GROUP TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE Chair Susan Orr, Former Chair Wendy Paulson, John S. Adams, Jane Alexander, Geoff Ball, Nathalie Boulle, Nick Butcher, Appy Chandler, To subscribe to BIRDLIFE please email [email protected] Christie Constantine, Sean Dennis, Scott Dresser, Joe Ellis, Warren Evans, John Gregory, Daniel Gauthier, Piyush Gupta, Richard Hale, Pamela Isdell, James Kushlan, Tasso Leventis, Hector Morales, Ben Olewine, Nick Prentice, Deb Rivel, Terry Townshend, Kurt Vogt, Barbara Young BIRDLIFE is available by subscription from BirdLife International at the above address and from some Partner organisations. BIRDLIFE is published quarterly by BirdLife International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK Tel. +44 (0)1223 277318 | Fax +44 (0)1223 277200 | Email [email protected] | UK registered charity n. 1042125 BirdLife International is a worldwide partnership of conservation organisations working to protect the world’s birds and their habitats.

The production of BIRDLIFE is generously supported by the A. G. Leventis Foundation.

4 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 REGULARS FEATURES

6 AROUND THE PARTNERSHIP 26 PARTNERSHIP The latest news from every region ABC join the flock Alex Dale 8 ONE TO WATCH Greater Prairie-chicken 8 28 ASIA BIRD TRADE 10 Safety in numbers – how we're 60 BCI protecting the Helmeted Hornbill The latests from our Bird Cressida Stevens Conservation International science journal 32 ASIA BIRD TRADE At home with the Hornbills – a 62 SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT lighter look at the fascinating How pet owners are key to making ecology of the Helmeted Hornbill the parrot trade sustainable Let’s make it a human right to live on a healthy planet. Anuj Jain 36 ASIA BIRD TRADE The last song? An update on the Asian songbird crisis COVER STORY James Lowen

10 ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT 40 FORESTS Let's make it a human right to live on What's your next move? What a healthy planet videogames can teach us about Shaun Hurrell landscape conservation 14 Cressida Stevens 14 ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT 36 The power of human rights – an 44 MARINE interview with Dr David Boyd, the UN Lifebuoys for birds – the latest Special Rapporteur for Human Rights innovation from our Marine team and the Environment Yann Rouxel Christopher Sands 46 IRREPLACEABLE 20 ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT Mountain rescue – how we're The only recovery is a green recovery empowering local citizens to protect – the latest on the EU Green Deal and restore Mount Kenya Justine Guiny and Jeremy Herry Lewis Kihumba

22 ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT 48 NATURE & PEOPLE Environmental destruction – a Birds are colour blind - our staff crime against humanity? We get react to recent events and the first an international human rights #BlackBirdersWeek barrister's perspective Christopher Sands 52 CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT 24 ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT From three fledglings to a thousand 48 Our letter to the United Nations in - the remarkable comeback story of 54 full the Grey-breasted Parakeet Kate Tointon

54 PREVENTING EXTINCTIONS A new hope for vultures Rachel Gartner

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 5 NEWS ROUND-UP

AROUND THE EUROPE

Decades of hard work PARTNERSHIP advocating against the construction of Biscarrués dam have paid off for our Spanish Partner, SEO. The planned dam and reservoir would have destroyed ALL THE LATEST NEWS, INSIGHT AND SUCCESS STORIES thousands of hectares of habitat (including protected Natura 2000 sites), harming FROM 116 PARTNERS IN 113 COUNTRIES important biodiversity and disrupting the nature-based economy of Gallego. After a long legal battle, rising to the Supreme Court, the project was rejected for being in violation of EU law. Victory!

KEY BIRDLIFE PARTNER BIRDLIFE COUNTRY PROGRAMME

AMERICAS

Guyra Paraguay has created a pioneering virtual tour of its Paraguayan Pantanal Reserve within the Avenza Maps mobile app. The reserve’s outstanding biodiversity makes it a popular ecotourism destination. Now, people can wander the trails through this paradise, exploring points of interest on their phones. This will not only enhance the experience AFRICA for visitors, but has given people a way to connect with nature whilst reserves have Ghana Wildlife Society been closed. (GWS) has developed a position statement on renewable energy developments, which builds from lessons learned by other BirdLife Partners in Africa and Europe. GWS supports Ghana’s transition to more renewable energy sources, but highlights that “it is of utmost urgency to address and minimize the threat to birds from electrocution, collision and loss of important habitats due to electricity generation, transmission and distribution”, and continues to engage stakeholders in the sector.

Reinch/Shutterstock Nataly Photo

6 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 MIDDLE EAST BIRD BULLETIN A landmark agreement will make Egyptian skies safer. Signed in April between the Migratory Soaring Birds project (MSB; run by BirdLife), Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, and Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), it will ensure that migratory birds and wider biodiversity are considered in EETC’s wind energy and powerline plans. The MSB project and Nature Conservation Egypt have also been globally recognised for such effective mainstreaming work in Egypt CEPF EASTERN by winning the prestigious 2020 Energy AFROMONTANE Globe Award. PROJECT

Photo Ahmed Waheed Photo WRAPS UP After eight fruitful years, CEPF’s investment in the Eastern Afromontane hotspot (a project implemented by BirdLife International) has come to an end. Stretching ASIA from Zimbabwe in southern Africa to Yemen Crucial habitats for wildlife in the Middle East, this and ecotourism in India vast area provides tens of have been devastated by a major gas leak millions of people with and blowout at the Baghjan oil field in the fresh water. However, north-eastern state of Assam. The blaze has with the majority of severely damaged two nearby KBAs (Maguri- the hotspot’s nations Motapung wetlands and areas of Dibru- caught in the clutches Saikhowa National Park) and polluted the of poverty, wildlife tributaries of the Brahmaputra River. Wildlife suffers from habitat casualties include the Ganges River Dolphin destruction resulting and thousands of dead fish and waterbirds. from unsustainable use “Preliminary surveys by our team shows that of natural resources large patches of grassland have turned to as a means to survive. ash”, say BNHS (BirdLife in India). Therefore, much of the work has involved helping communities living in or around Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) to develop livelihoods that are both substantial and sustainable. Over the course of the investment, the hotspot has seen 164 projects led by 115 organisations supported, across 83 Marsh Babbler Photo Yann Muzika Yann Photo Marsh Babbler KBAs. The successes have been considerable, including helping to secure 1.4 million hectares of protected areas, discovering six PACIFIC species new to science, and contributing to In our last issue, the much-celebrated we documented downlisting of the some of the Mountain Gorilla Gorilla birds ‘worst hit’ by the Australian beringei beringei from bushfires, amongst which was Critically Endangered to the Endangered population of Endangered on the IUCN Glossy Black-cockatoos on Red List. Crucially, the Kangaroo Island. Conservationists hotspot is now better at BirdLife Australia have therefore equipped with a whole been overjoyed to find at least host of experienced 23 cockatoo chicks in nests of organisations ready to trees that managed to withstand continue creating change the inferno. They now strive to for conservation.

keep these chicks safe against the Emilie Chen Mountain Gorilla Photo persistent threat of predation by possums. Glossy Black-cockatoo Photo Chris Tzaros/Birdlife Australia Tzaros/Birdlife Chris Photo Black-cockatoo Glossy

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 7 ONE TO WATCH

Playing chicken with extinction

Imagine you’re walking across the North in the midwestern USA. Such a dramatic drop in American prairies when you hear a haunting, numbers meant a great deal of genetic diversity resonant wailing sound echoing across the was lost, further reducing the birds’ health and plains. You could be forgiven for mistaking it breeding success. The species is also a victim of for a wolf’s howl, human singing, or even a more indirect impacts stemming from hunting: musical instrument. Follow the sound towards the non-native Common Pheasant Phasianus an elevated stretch of short grass, however, colchicus, introduced for shooting, competes and you’ll see that its true source is even more with the Greater Prairie-chicken for food and improbable: large, grouse-like birds squaring habitat. They even lay their eggs in the prairie- off against each other, raising twin crests like chickens’ nests. The pheasant’s chicks hatch rabbits’ ears, and inflating sacs the colour and first and leave the nest after just a few hours, shape of tangerines on either side of their necks causing the prairie-chicken to believe she has – the source of the unearthly “booming” sound successfully raised her young, and abandon her they use to attract females. Today, an encounter own, unhatched eggs. with a Greater Prairie-chicken Tympanuchus Despite this bleak outlook, the results of the cupido (Vulnerable) is a rare and extraordinary North American Breeding Bird Survey suggest experience. The species used to be a common its population might now be slowly increasing, sight across North America and Canada, although this trend varies region by region. numbering in the millions in the 1830s in the This heartening change of fortune may be a state of Illinois alone. But by the 1930s, this result of the conservation action underway to flamboyant member of the grouse family was safeguard the species. Protected areas and limits teetering on the brink of extinction. on livestock grazing are allowing the prairie to During the space of a single century, vast spring up again, and conservationists have tried swathes of prairie habitat had been swallowed translocating birds to reduce inbreeding. This, up by farmland, and the species was drastically combined with stricter hunting legislation, could over-hunted for sport, leaving it hemmed into mean this species won’t have to play chicken just a few small patches of managed grassland with extinction.

GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN Tympanuchus cupido Photo Rob Palmer Photography/Shutterstock

FEATUREONE PLANET ONE RIGHT

Let’s make it a human right to live on a healthy planet.

10 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT

BIG CHALLENGES REQUIRE BIG SOLUTIONS. OUR MOST AMBITIOUS CAMPAIGN EVER AIMS TO FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM HUMANITY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE – FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL

t’s no secret: our natural and a thriving natural world. world is in terrible shape. Our We must completely change the way we I unsustainable system is causing treat our home. Human rights movements climate chaos, mass extinction of have a long and successful track record at species, pollution and human suffering. transforming society and, with governments As COVID-19 reminds us, the destruction meeting in September to discuss the fate of nature harms people directly. Lest we of our planet at key UN meetings, there has forget, we are part of nature, and we need a never been a greater need for action. healthy planet to survive together. We, as do We call on the UN to add the right to a all other living beings, deserve the right to a healthy natural environment to the Universal healthy natural world. Declaration of Human Rights. Just as Society must build back better after the original Declaration was forged from this crisis; governments cannot continue the ashes of humanity’s last global crisis, business as usual. We now need a Green World War II, we can emerge from today’s Let’s make it a human right Recovery that recognises the importance crisis with a symbolic and decisive political of nature, that tackles the climate and change. One that shows to the world that biodiversity crises simultaneously, and kick- our solutions are in nature, and that systemic to live on a healthy planet. starts adecade of systemic change that builds change must happen, fast. It’s an ambitious resilient economies, healthy communities goal, but an achievable one, and here’s how…

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 11 FEATURE

All photos via Unsplash WE HAVE ONE PLANET For nature. For us. We need a human right to ensure the planet’s health, and our future

hat exactly do we want, twin biodiversity and climate crises right is ratified through the UN policy and when? facing our planet already violate and machinery, it’s an immense catalyst A universal human right to a jeopardise our human rights. Because for international and national legal W healthy natural environment, of environmental harms, over nine change as member states improve guaranteed by public policies and million people die prematurely every their environmental policies to fulfil determined by sustainability, science, year and hundreds of millions of people the right, which would see sweeping and traditional indigenous knowledge. suffer illnesses. Climate change impacts improvements to wildlife, ecosystems – more frequent and intense storms, and the lives of people. It would also We call on the UN to: droughts, wildfires and rising sea levels make additional resources available n Vote to include the right to a – threaten the health, well-being and to assist developing countries in healthy natural environment at the dignity of billions of people. Michele protecting the environment, and UN Human Rights Council, in the Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for support environmental human rights UN General Assembly and as an Human Rights,warns: “the world has defenders. urgent topic at the UN Summit on never seen a human rights threat of Biodiversity in September 2020. this scope.” It’s high time the world’s Why are we focusing on humans? governments woke up to the gravity of Human society is pulling itself from n Ultimately include the right to a the situation and acted accordingly. the web of life, and breaking strands: healthy natural environment in the Rights-based approaches have a we’re losing our connection to the Universal Declaration of Human strong history of catalysing change – natural world at the same time as Rights, adopted by December 2023 such as the campaign to abolish slavery, we are devastating it. Yet humans to mark the 75th anniversary of the the women’s rights movement, and the are nature; what protects nature, Universal Declaration by the UN recognition of the rights of indigenous protects humans. So we approach this General Assembly. peoples. campaign with a deep recognition that supporting nature’s rights is supporting Why a human right? What will it achieve in practice? human rights, and environmental rights We’re used to talking about saving A new human right is far from just defenders are de facto human rights species and ecosystems, but the a symbolic gesture. Once a human defenders. As such, this anthropogenic

12 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT

standpoint also completely supports, 19, tackling illegal wildlife trade, and is compatible with, an ecocentric reforming agricultural policy, reversing 16% OF GLOBAL viewpoint, including movements to deforestation, and more. Through protect inherent rights of nature (such calling for a universal right to healthy DEATHS as the Whanganui River in New Zealand, nature, the campaign also aims to Pollution is responsible for now legally treated as a living entity). ensure that everyone, from all walks of 3X as many deaths as AIDS, With the current gaps in national life and all areas of the world, is able to tuberculosis, and malaria and international law, a human rights access and benefit from nature. One combined, and for nearly 15X as approach has the largest potential for Planet One Right is also an open call to many deaths as war and violence the global, systemic change needed the rest of the world’s civil society for to protect life on Earth. The COVID- support; the inclusion of the right to a 19 response has also shown that healthy natural environment is a push change can happen fast, when there we should all be behind if we are to 80% OF UN is the political will, and when humans ensure our survival and wellbeing, and STATES are in immediate danger, compared save our planet. have already established some to the slow response to climate and legal recognition of the right to a biodiversity crises where threats may What should I do next? healthy environment, yet the UN seem far off to some. Spread the word, quickly! Sign does not yet recognise this as a and share the petition to make it a universal human right What’s the wider context? UN-recognised human right to live This umbrella campaign forms on a healthy planet. It may seem part of a wider push to transform overwhelming, but it’s true: to international climate and nature policy emerge from these crises, to ensure OVER 1 MILLION at the beginning of the UN Decade our future and that of the planet, we SPECIES of Action, including adopting a Post- need to entirely transform humanity’s at risk of extinction globally 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, relationship with nature. This human a Green Recovery from COVID- right helps make that happen.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 13 THE POWER OF HUMAN RIGHTS Dr David Boyd, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, and a supporter of our campaign, speaks to BirdLife on why nature is a human right, the process required to make it so, and whether this ambitious goal is even feasible…

he question has been on the lips of the globe.” commentators all around the globe: This inequality is at the heart of the if the world can mobilise so rapidly challenge of Boyd’s role as the United Nations’ T to respond to COVID-19, why can’t Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and it do so for the even more serious looming the Environment. His job, as he sees it, is to threat of climate change? amplify the voices of scientists who are saying, For Boyd, the discrepancy in action comes yes, there clearly is a connection between the as little surprise, and is rooted in inequality. destruction of our planet, and the wildfires, “COVID-19 threatens everyone, including cyclones and pandemics that are hitting wealthy and powerful people in the global communities the world over. In this exclusive north”, he says. “On the other hand, the effects two-part interview, Boyd gives his insight into of climate change are being felt right now by why nature is a human right, and how we can people who don’t have much of a voice and are make it happen… on the sort of outskirts of the people who run ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT

DAVID BOYD ON... NOT TOO LATE “I think that if we can act fast enough to make this mess so quickly, then we What, exactly, is a UN Special can act fast enough to turn it around Rapporteur on Human Rights & quickly”, says Boyd on the scale of the challenge ahead. “With our billions the Environment? of people, we have an unprecedented reservoir of human ingenuity, creativity and innovation at our disposal if we can pecial rapporteurs are I’m the special rapporteur on the harness that in the direction which we individual human rights human rights obligations related to need to move in.” experts that are appointed the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy S by the UN Human Rights and sustainable environment. You’ll Council to work on specific human notice they don’t actually talk about environment. rights topics. Our work basically the right to a safe, clean, healthy and People have been working on this consists of an annual report to the sustainable environment. So I perceive for decades. And because we are now Human Rights Council on a given my job as the UN Special Rapporteur clearly in an unprecedented planetary subject, an annual report to the UN as having three main elements. One environmental emergency, I feel like General Assembly on a given subject, is to achieve, for the first time, global now is the time to actually put this right and responding to citizens and civil recognition that every single person on into action. So job number one, get it society around the world about this planet, no matter where they live, recognised. Number two, clarify what instances where they allege that their no matter what colour of their skin, no it means. And number three, accelerate rights are being violated by states or by matter rich or poor, has this right to live the implementation of actions to fulfil governments. in a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable this right across the planet.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 15 THE INTERVIEW

Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica Photo via Shutterstock

A RICH ROLE MODEL “I love to tell the story of Costa Rica”, says Boyd. “Costa Rica put the right to a healthy environment in its constitution in 1994. They have become one of the greenest countries on earth. Twenty five percent of the land of Costa Rica is now in national parks. They’ve got 98% of DAVID BOYD ON... their electricity coming from renewable energy sources. They have a plan for 2050 What his role entails for the complete decarbonisation of their economy.” o pretty much everyone I has driven that home to people more talk to when I ask: “Do you clearly than the COVID-19 pandemic, think that you have the which has its roots in our dysfunctional will deal with healthy and sustainably S right to live in a healthy and relationship with the natural world. produced food, access to clean water sustainable environment?” They go, Whether that’s through deforestation, and adequate sanitation, and non-toxic yeah, of course. industrial agriculture or the wildlife environments in which people can But do they actually know what that trade, ecosystem degradation is causing live, work, study and play. So once I’ve means? Generally, no. So I’m producing a surge in emerging infectious diseases completed that series of six reports, a series of six reports for the UN on that leap from wildlife into humans. hopefully everyone will have a better what I called the substantive elements The remaining three reports that I’ll be sense of what the right to a healthy of the right to a healthy and sustainable rolling out over the next couple of years environment actually means. environment. The first one was on clean air. I mean, what could be more critical to human survival and wellbeing than being able to breathe clean air? “What could be more critical to human A safe climate was my second report. The report I’m working on right now is survival and wellbeing than being able on healthy ecosystems and biodiversity as the third key element of the right to to breathe clean air?” a healthy environment. And nothing

16 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT

Karakal, Tajikistan Photo Milosz Maslanka WATER AS A HUMAN RIGHT Access to clean water remains challenging globally – in Africa and Asia, women have to walk an average of six kilometres to collect water. In Tajikistan, pictured, the UN estimates nearly a third of the population takes water from canals and irrigation ditches, both of which are often polluted. Recognising water as a human right has helped galvanise governments into action.

DAVID BOYD ON... The process to get a human right recognised by the United Nations

he process is kind of a two healthy natural environment into their drinking water and sanitation. These are step process. Countries constitutions. You would see countries things that folks in the world’s wealthiest T pushing the initiative strengthening their environmental laws countries just take for granted. Until forward envision that first to ensure that they’re able to actually you’ve met someone who actually they’ll go to the UN’s Human Rights fulfil this right. spends two, four, six hours a day walking Council and pass a resolution there If we look back, we can see this is to a distant pump or creek to get water that recognises the right. And then exactly what happened ten years ago and carrying it physically on their head they’ll bump it from there to the United after a long standing effort by civil or on the back of a bicycle, you can’t Nations General Assembly. society around the world. The United understand how transformative it is to The theory of change is that once Nations recognised for the first time have a well in your community, to bring you have a United Nations resolution that there is a human right to clean water to your home. that ideally is supported by all of the water and to adequate sanitation. We’ve And this is where the power of human countries of the world, it serves as a seen this decade that more countries rights really lies as it takes something catalyst for change throughout the are putting the rights to water and like clean water from being something entire international and national legal sanitation into their constitutions, and that governments just think about as systems. So you would see changes the practical concrete outcome is an option, to something they must at the national level in terms of that we’ve seen literally hundreds of implement. more countries putting the right to a millions of people gain access to safe

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 17 THE INTERVIEW

The right to a healthy planet, DAVID BOYD ON... as a universally recognized Whether there is global momentum human right, would be a powerful addition to the toolkit for saving for this movement the planet. The right to a healthy environment already provides the e have some great evidence air pollution faster, saving lives in foundation for much of the progress we that proves the right makes the process. They have reduced are seeing in different nations around W a difference. And that greenhouse gas emissions much the globe. What we need to do now is evidence is the fact that more quickly than countries that don’t seize this moment of global eco-crisis today over 80 percent of the countries recognise the right. to secure United Nations recognition of of the world already recognise the right They have achieved access to safe this right so that everyone, everywhere to a healthy environment in law, either drinking water and sanitation more benefits. The human right to a healthy in their constitutions, their legislation, quickly than countries that don’t through court decisions or through recognise the right and perform better planet, if recognized by all nations, regional treaties that they are parties to. on many other broad metrics of could be the most important human Academic researchers have environmental performance. right of the 21st century. studied the implications of this, of I could bend your ear all day with This is why I wholeheartedly endorse the recognition of this right, and they stories from countries around the world the #1Planet1Right campaign. have discovered that it does make a where the recognition of this right has difference. They’ve discovered that led to all kinds of amazing changes, countries that recognise the right to stories from Costa Rica, from Norway, DAVID BOYD a healthy environment have reduced from Namibia, you name it.

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Xx xxxx xxxxx xxx xxx xxxxx xxxx A SUFFOCATING CRISIS The United Nations Environment Programme does not mince its word when talking about the impact of air pollution: they have declared it the biggest environmental health risk of our time. Aside from its contribution to climate change, air pollution in its many forms – from industrial furnances to wildfires to cookstoves – is responsible for millions of deaths every year.

The majority of the world’s most polluted cities are in Asia Photo Hung Chung Chih

DAVID BOYD ON... Why, if this right is present in some fashion in 80% of the countries of the world, we’re hurtling towards planetary catastrophe

here’s actually two your actions are affecting our rights to a in this subset of countries where the elements of the answer healthy planet. rule of law really doesn’t exist or is to that question. Some of Another thing, which is important extremely weak, the right to a healthy T the world’s most powerful is to be clear on, is that despite the environment is just words on paper, just countries, some of the world’s most fact that 80 percent of UN countries as all human rights in those countries polluting countries, do not recognise recognise this right in one way or are just words on paper. this right. So the United States, China, another, in some countries, the actual And really, for countries in that Japan, Australia, Canada, the United legal recognition is weak. category, they need to become Kingdom are [examples of] countries And that’s an impediment to its functioning countries before they can that do not recognise the right. It’s an implementation. There are also literally really begin to address these human interesting situation where this initiative dozens of countries, and I don’t think rights issues. is being led by smaller countries and this will come as a surprise to anyone, countries in the global south where that are either embroiled in civil war, they’re saying, wait a minute, we’re fed are facing extreme poverty, or are being up with you guys not recognising that run by authoritarian dictators. And in

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 19 ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT THE ONLY RECOVERY IS A GREEN RECOVERY As businesses wake from hibernation and the world eases itself into something close to normal, global attention turns to economic recovery – but ignoring nature as part of these plans would be a huge error. Will the EU’s response be fit for purpose?

he COVID-19 pandemic has already sustainability and the planet’s limited had a huge impact on our lives, and resources no longer seem fit for purpose. will undoubtedly continue to do so Justine Guiny and By overexploiting nature, our production, T in the years and decades to come. Its Jeremy Herry consumption and trading model has proven consequences are devastating and go beyond to be one of the very roots of the spread of the hundreds of thousands of people that have the virus. And these same roots drive the twin sadly died. Millions more are out of work and climate and biodiversity crises which threaten have no money to spend. Our economies are our very existence on this planet. not only on hold - some sectors With this alarming wake-up call, are collapsing completely. human societies around the world are Our economic model has now facing the negative consequences reached its limits. Constant of our unsustainable development model. demands for growth enabled This crisis is teaching us that our economy by a free market which ignores is entirely dependent on nature, and that we ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT

1 Last year, six HeidelbergCement quarries across Europe and Africa must listen to what the science tells us if we hosted Spring Alive events, want a sustainable future. such as this one in Poland In the same way the United Nations and the European Union emerged from the ashes of World War II, we must take stock of what we 4 Ecosystems already improving water quality and recovering have learned from this crisis to build a better, provide us with the tools threatened ecosystems. The European sustainable future. While many are mobilising to live prosperous, Commission has also demonstrated that colossal sums in an attempt to jump-start the sustainable lives political power can reshape our societies by economy back to business as usual, citizen All photos BirdLife Europe & quickly unlocking huge sums of money. This movements, businesses, some governments Central Asia has led them to set up a recovery fund of €750 and NGOs worldwide are calling that the post- billion. COVID-19 recovery has to be green. 0 While birds are central to our mission, our core European politicians have been spreading the What does that mean? It means making vision speaks to our holistic idea that Member States would need to follow sure that the money used to recover from outlook: “a world where the “Do no harm” principle when implementing the COVID-19 crisis helps prevent another nature and people live in the recovery fund, in line with the EU’s one: the impending climate and biodiversity harmony, more equitably commitments under the EU Green Deal and the crisis. In Europe, over 1.6 million citizens and and sustainably”. recently adopted Biodiversity Strategy. Sounds 150 environmental NGOs have called on the good, but the devil is in the details… European Union to restart its economy by In fact, the EU’s money focuses on stimulus launching the biggest green investment plan the packages for sectors such as green transport world has ever seen. and sustainable energy, but biodiversity and Large cross-sector initiatives such as ‘The ecosystems are nowhere to be seen. They even Great Reset’ led by the World Economic provided €24 billion to an unreformed Common ‘Forum, or the ‘Green Alliance’ (gathering over Agricultural Policy (CAP), despite a recent report 200 stakeholders, from BirdLife to the French from the EU Court of Auditors demonstrating Government), are also demanding sustainable how harmful it is for biodiversity. The financial investments. THE EU’S Commission has also failed to clarify how it will Across the map, the BirdLife Partnership has bridge the assessed €470 billion gap in annual been advocating for our leaders to seize this MONEY FOCUSES investment to meet its 2030 climate and energy opportunity to deliver green, structural change ON STIMULUS goals. Moreover, the LIFE programme, the EU’s in our economies. The truth is, our planet PACKAGES FOR funding instrument for environment and climate already provides us with the tools we need to SECTORS SUCH AS action, is also under threat: the Commission combine the best of both worlds: investing GREEN TRANSPORT wants to slash its funding by €15 million. in restoring and protecting ecosystems can AND SUSTAINABLE In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, a green provide people with immediate sustainable jobs ENERGY, BUT recovery is not some nice little bonus. It’s what and long-lasting natural benefits. For instance, BIODIVERSITY AND we desperately need. The EU and its Member rebuilding oyster reefs and fish passages in ECOSYSTEMS ARE States know what the science says. We have coastal dams can boost economic activity NOWHERE TO told them time and again. They now have to act in sectors such as marine construction and BE SEEN upon that knowledge - our collective survival tourism, while increasing fish populations, depends on it.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 21 ENVIRONMENTAL DEVASTATION A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY? An international human rights barrister’s perspective on the origins of the right to a healthy natural environment, and why we must act now

rofessor Philippe Sands has unique development of the world-changing legal prominence in the field of human concepts of ‘genocide’ and ‘crimes against rights and the environment. His humanity’. Co-founder of the Centre for P illustrious career has seen him International Environmental Law, Sands is also appear as counsel and advocate in many the author of two seminal texts in the field. international courts and tribunals, ranging BirdLife is especially gratified to have from maritime boundary disputes, to Sands’ support and advice for the One Planet pollution, whaling, and to genocide. He has One Right campaign to add the right to a also published 17 books on international law healthy natural environment to the Universal including Lawless World, which catalysed Declaration of Human Rights. Here we get an public debate on the Iraq War. His latest, The insight into his work, his measure of success Ratline: Love, Lies and Justice on the Trail of and optimism, and why, when it comes to a Nazi Fugitive, follows the success of East the environment, international law is too West Street, which explores the creation and important to be left to international lawyers. ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT

universal human right The Universal Declaration of Human to a healthy natural Rights rose from the ashes of World War environment – it’s almost II and the Nuremberg trials (pictured) A unbelievable that it Photo United States Holocaust doesn’t already exist. The concept Memorial Museum of human rights is ever-expanding (e.g. the rights of women, ethnic minorities/majorities, LGBTQ+); are you optimistic of the inclusion of the environment? The world of human rights that I am involved in is in the very earliest stages of its development. If you go back through human existence, you’re talking about millennia. It’s really only in the past 60 or 70 years we see the idea that law at the global level might protect the wellbeing of the environment, the wellbeing of individuals and the wellbeing of communities. The world is not going to change overnight, human rights are not going to be completely protected overnight, the environment is not going to be completely protected overnight.

Are the prospects for the planet gloomy, then? It’s a long game, so I’m not looking The Universal Declaration of Human Are these steps moving with enough for overnight change. What keeps Rights, and the related concepts urgency to secure the planet’s me going are the little indicators of of international crimes against health? success: an odd case here, an odd humanity and genocide, came out of With regards to the environment and case there, a judgement of a court in the ashes of the Second World War, climate, and whether enough changes one part of the world, a judgement of as outlined in your book East West will be made in enough time before a the International Court of Justice in Street. Does the right to a healthy point of no return has been reached – another. I believe that it is possible to natural environment have its place in that’s something I do not know. Real change consciousness and that the law this context? changes happen in international law contributes to that – this explains why I Considering great environmental when catastrophe strikes. Nothing may am able to be relatively optimistic. destruction or outrages as international really happen on climate change, and it I think the world is a better place than crimes might well be appropriate – may well be too late, until catastrophe it was in the 1930s. Then, a country there is no innate contradiction or strikes – that is when the law really could kill half of its own citizens without flaw in raising environmental crimes cuts in. violating a single rule of international to that level given their consequences. The history of international law. That can’t happen anymore. It The development of universal human cooperation is the history of disaster doesn’t mean that the killings stop, it rights only stems from the late ‘40s followed by reconstruction, and I’ve doesn’t mean that the plunder of the and early ‘50s, and our environmental long thought that in the environmental environment stops, but it does mean consciousness, law and rights are even field it is the imminence of collapse that that there’s an emerging standard more recent – dating from the ‘70s causes action to be taken. On climate which says actually you’re not allowed – so this is all still in its infancy and is change it just hasn’t got bad enough to do that – and that’s a good thing. incremental. There have been small and the risk is that by the time it does, it (but important) steps taken – but they will be too late. do make a difference and give So recognising a human right to a me optimism. healthy environment could be a key tool in an effective response to the twin crises of climate and biodiversity loss. “The history of international International law is too important to be left to international lawyers – mobilising cooperation is the history of disaster the public to support this new human right is the right thing to do, a terrific followed by reconstruction” thing to do, and I am happy to help.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 23 ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT OUR OPEN LETTER TO THE UNITED To His Excellency NATIONS Mr António Guterres The #1Planet1Right campaign was Secretary-General of the United Nations kicked-off with this letter to the UN Secretary-General on 22 April 2020

Today, on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, as if the earth’s incessant rotation had slowed and stopped, coronavirus has created an unprecedented challenge. It connects us all in our fragility and the intimate connection we have with our planet and with nature. Whether confined at home or struggling to be distanced from each other in other ways, or heroically treating the ill and dying, or continuing to provide essential public services, all at personal peril – we all ask how have we come to this? That is why, at this epochal moment in human history, we need your leadership at the helm of our United Nations. The health of our planet, our ecosystems, our economies, indeed ourselves, cry out now for the General Assembly to recognize our universal right to live in a healthy natural environment – guaranteed by public policies and governed by sustainability and the best scientific and traditional indigenous knowledge. We invite you – we implore you – to call for an addition to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights: to enshrine a new article 31, one that recognises the right to a healthy environment. Starting now, by putting it on the agenda of the UN General Assembly meeting in September as part of the Summit on Biodiversity, this could be achieved by December 2023, to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption by the General Assembly of the Universal Declaration. We know that we will eventually, in grief and pain, and economically devastated, emerge from coronavirus. Once we reach the brink of the galloping twin crises of climate and biodiversity, however, we will not escape. We can already see how our lack of care for the planet infringes other established universal human rights, such as the right to life, liberty and security. The science is clear now. In this critical “Decade of Action”, we must take the necessary decisive actions to save the ecosystems of the planet from collapse. The effects of global warming, and the loss of biodiversity on people’s health and their economies, if left unaddressed, will be irreparable. The initial declaration of human rights was forged out of the ashes of the conflagration of the Second World War. Now we too must we rise to the challenge of finding a better way to conduct ourselves on our spinning home. The inspiring and determined Greta Thunberg, and the global youth movement she has pioneered, put the faces of the future viscerally on what it means to fail to secure the planet’s health. Indeed, we risk making a mockery of and undermining the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda. We know that adding to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a profound act. Sacred even. But we are convinced that at this moment of crisis your courage and leadership is needed to address the collapse of ecosystems and the irreversible overheating of the planet which loom with such menace. Our magnificent Earth is equally sacred, and there has perhaps never been a more important moment to enshrine a human right that would oblige us all to respect it, for the benefit of all. At BirdLife International, a family of scientists, conservationists and local people from over 100 countries, founded in 1922 shortly after the League of Nations, we believe we share this historic responsibility. As a United Nations-recognized civil society observer, we therefore humbly urge you to raise this issue at the next UN General Assembly in September. We appreciate your urgent attention to this matter and stand ready to move forward and mobilize the planet’s citizens, across all continents, seas and oceans, to back such a vital call and support your leadership.

Yours sincerely,

Patricia Zurita Chief Executive of BirdLife International, on behalf of the BirdLife International Partnership The letter was written with input from the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, David Boyd, who is a strong advocate of the campaign and interviewed on page 14 and interviewed the campaign of advocate who is a strong Boyd, David on human rights and the environment, the UN Special Rapporteur with input from written was The letter

24 ONE PLANET ONE RIGHT

ACT NOW SIGN OUR PETITION TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO MAKE A HEALTHY PLANET A UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHT

It is time for the United Over a million species Nations to recognise the are at risk of extinction. right to a healthy natural Temperatures are soaring environment as a human like never before. And we’re right. Our survival depends in the midst of a deadly on living on a healthy planet. pandemic.

Enshrining the universal Our planet is fighting for right to a healthy its life. With this right, the natural environment is a human right to a healthy fundamental step to ensure natural environment, we we transform our society’s would put the Earth – and relationship with nature. ourselves – on the path towards a global green recovery.

SIGN NOW AT WWW.1PLANET1RIGHT.ORG

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 25 PARTNERSHIP NEWS

ABC JOINS THE FLOCK We are delighted to welcome the newest member of the BirdLife family: American Bird Conservancy (ABC), a collaborative and passionate organisation which becomes our second Partner in the USA

ince it was founded in 1994, ABC “I am delighted that ABC has become a partner has fearlessly tackled the major of BirdLife International”, says Mike Parr, Alex Dale S issues facing birds and biodiversity President, ABC. “It will allow us to connect in the United States, including with like-minded groups from across the sensitive, divisive issues such as free-roaming globe to help further our joint mission of bird cats and pesticides. ABC’s reach extends conservation. It’s extremely exciting to be able beyond its country’s mainland borders; current to play a role in the next evolution of BirdLife in organisational focuses include restoring habitat the Americas.” for Hawaiian forest endemics, and protecting While typically there is one BirdLife Partner key seabird colonies from threats such as per country, our constitution allows for invasive species. more in special circumstances. ABC joins our ABC is a perfect cultural fit for the BirdLife 0 Ruby-throated long-standing Partner in the US, the National Partnership, as a collaborative spirit is ingrained Hummingbird, the species Audubon Society, which has led on bird issues in everything they do. One of their key featured on ABC’s logo since 1905. With nearly two million members, strategies involves working with conservation archilochus colubris Audubon has championed hemispheric partners to establish and sustain protected Photo Steve Byland/ conservation, working with BirdLife partners reserves across the Americas, including Shutterstock across Latin America. “We welcome the safe havens for Araripe Manakin Antilophia partnership of a revitalised ABC under Mike bokermanni in Brazil (with partner Aquasis), and Parr’s leadership; the challenges are so huge Blue-billed Curassow Crax alberti in Colombia that we need to collectively bring all the energy (alongside Fundación ProAves). Overall, ABC’s we can muster to this fight to save the places network spans 15 countries and protects over a birds need”, says Audubon CEO and President million acres – benefiting birds large and small. David Yarnold.

262 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II SWAROVSKI OPTIK SUPPLIER OF BINOCULARS

EL THE LEGEND

SEE THE UNSEEN

B-02A_Birdlife_A4_EN_RWL_NEU.indd 1 25.06.20 10:23 THE RED LIST

SAFETY IN NUMBERS Teetering on the edge of extinction due to demand for its prized casque, the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil now finds itself with a fighting chance of survival thanks to bolstered law enforcement and patrols of its dwindling forest habitat

elmeted Hornbill pairs rear just haven becomes her tomb, as she waits for her one chick at a time, so ensuring its next meal from a partner who will never return. H safety is paramount. And that means Cressida Stevens Even to get to this stage, Helmeted Hornbill investing in a strong, sturdy front pairs have to clear a big hurdle: finding a suitable door. When the female is ready to produce an nesting tree. The tree must have a cavity big egg, she seals herself inside her tree cavity nest, enough for the adult female to raise her chick gluing shut the entrance with mud and fruit. to fledge, with a ledge above that the male can Out of sight of predators, this is her safe haven: perch on to drop fruit into a small opening in no harm can come to her and her (usually the nest. This sort of set-up is only found in the solitary) chick here. Encased inside, she waits oldest, tallest trees of old growth forests – in as the male flits between fruit trees to find and other words, those that are becoming scarce bring back food. Around five months later, the since they are also the most valuable to loggers. time comes for the female to use her supersize Food, too, is a precious resource, and the bill to break free from her self-imposed prison, species is known to compete over access to allowing the fledgling to take to the wing. For foraging territory. Sometimes when a fig tree millenia, this technique has been effective in 0 Helmeted Hornbill comes into fruit, a head-to-head battle ensues. ensuring the survival of this species. However, Rhinoplax vigil Helmets ‘strapped’ on, the birds (usually males) as is so often the case, human action is tipping Penang Bird Park charge at each other until they collide at their the balance against their favour. A dramatic rise Photo Tim Plowden / www. casques (the projections above their bills), with in poaching means that the mother hornbill’s timplowden.co.uk a deafening ‘clack’. After a series of blows, it’s

28 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 ASIA BIRD TRADE

SAFETY IN

0 Helmeted Hornbill large seizures of smuggled casques revealed checking out a potential an explosive spike in demand. Three years later, nest site the Helmeted Hornbill found itself one Red List NUMBERS Photo Sanjitpaal Singh / category away from extinction. This is because JITSPICS.COM© casque carvings have become a status symbol among the rich in China – where it can sell for 4 Helmeted Hornbill up to five times more than elephant ivory – casques fetch up to five though what the item says about its owner is in times more than elephant the eye of the beholder. ivory in China Back in the forest, poachers may trek for days Photo Hong Kong in search of Helmeted Hornbills. Some mimic University/ Anuj Jain their characteristic ape-like laughing song in an attempt to lure them into sight. Finally, a large bird glides across the canopy with its believed that the winner is entitled to the first long tail feathers streaming out behind and a claim on the food. But while the dwindling silenced rifle is raised to shoot. Sometimes it’s supply of fruit and nesting trees are two a Helmeted Hornbill, sometimes it’s another gradually increasing threats, they fail to explain hornbill – with such a prize to be gained, there’s why in 2015, the species made an extremely rare no time or desire to consult the field guide. The jump up the extinction risk ladder from Near most damaging scenario is when it’s a male Threatened to Critically Endangered. So what provisioning for his mate and offspring during has gone wrong in the past ten years? breeding season. One bird dead in the poacher’s It comes back to that large casque on their hand, is worth two more dead in the nest. forehead. In a twist of irony, their ‘helmet’ – a The hotspot of poaching is in Indonesia, often feature which in any human context is designed orchestrated by international crime networks. to protect – is their death warrant. Accounting WE’RE NOT It may also occur in the bordering Malaysian for about 10% of the average 3kg that these ONLY PUTTING state of Sarawak but mercifully, there is little massive birds weigh, and adorned by both males EYES AND EARS or no targeted poaching in the other range and females, the Helmeted Hornbill’s casque ON THE GROUND, countries: Brunei, Myanmar and Thailand. Local is the only one of any hornbill species that is – WE’RE PULLING communities in these countries mostly revere solid, and thus highly suited to carving. Although WOULD-BE hornbills for their worth alive. In Myanmar, people have been carving this material for HUNTERS OUT OF all hornbills are admired for their faithfulness ornamental purposes for millennia, there was THE CHAIN (pairs form life-long bonds) and in Malaysia too, no great cause for concern until 2012, when hornbills hold huge cultural significance.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 29 ASIA BIRD TRADE

To survey populations and deter poachers, 0 This is one helmet that some BirdLife Partners have set up nest sadly does not provide monitoring and patrol schemes with local protection people. For some hunters, getting involved is Photo Tim Plowden / www. simply a means to make the money needed to timplowden.co.uk survive. When Malaysian Nature Society (MNS, BirdLife Partner) interviewed members of local 4 Seized casques. The communities, one ex-poacher said: “I stopped demand is such that it has hunting wildlife (including hornbills), because attracted the attention of the government gave me a more lucrative organised crime gangs alternative: being a national park ranger.” In this Photo Bonie Dewantara way, these systems act as a double defence; we’re not only putting eyes and ears on the 3 The species’ solid casque ground, but also pulling would-be hunters out can be carved into intricate of the chain. patterns Others are motivated to protect the hornbills Photo Anuj Jain because they recognise the ecological value of the birds. Acting as key seed dispersers, the a new kind of ‘safe haven’ – areas large enough birds’ relationship with the forest is actually to support hornbill populations, where threats interdependent. One MNS Hornbill Guardian of both poaching and forest degradation are explained his motivation: “No hornbills, no effectively mitigated. forests, no us. When hornbills are healthy, forests are healthy.” This also allows us to get ahead of the game. “Combating poaching directly is important but Although casque poaching does not occur in all not enough to save the Helmeted Hornbill”, says range states, history demonstrates how readily Anuj Jain, Preventing Extinctions Coordinator, these activities can change tack. By securing BirdLife Asia. “One of our key approaches is safe havens across the Helmeted Hornbill’s protecting the hornbill’s strongholds from range, BirdLife not only addresses the issue of We would like to thank the habitat loss, degradation and other human BirdLife Gala Dinners, and habitat loss, but also sets up mechanisms to disturbances, whilst improving local community Species Champions, Peter Smith, protect Helmeted Hornbills before poachers livelihoods.” BirdLife is a member of the multi- Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust begin to arrive. organisational Helmeted Hornbill Working and the National Geographic Poachers entering forests, often operating Society, for their ongoing Group which, among other goals such as funding and support of our work through organised networks, have caused strengthening law enforcement and reducing with the Helmeted Hornbill. Helmeted Hornbill numbers to plummet, demand, works to protect key areas where compounded by forest loss and their unique BirdLife’s efforts are made Helmeted Hornbills are found. Over the past two possible in part by its nesting behaviour. Creating these safe havens years, we have launched rapid field assessments membership of the Restore is essential to keep poachers out, to ensure from Myanmar to Borneo, and identified a Species partnership, which works provisioning males make it back to their nests number of new locations where the species is to prevent extinctions caused by and to keep Helmeted Hornbills out of the illegal and unsustainable trade present. The next step is highlighting these areas and hunting, and poisoning. markets and into the only place they belong; the to governments and convincing them to secure forests – and especially, the holes of old trees.

30 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 Take your support to new heights

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RECEIVE A BESPOKE OIL OR WATERCOLOUR PAINTING OF THE BIRD OF YOUR CHOICE WHEN YOU JOIN Photo Menno Schaefer/Shutterstock Photo ASIA BIRD TRADE AT HOME WITH THE HORNBILLS With a touch of comedy, India-based cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty uses his illustrations to give a view of the world through a bird’s eyes and present thought-provoking conservation messages. Explore the fascinating habits and shocking hardships of the Helmeted Hornbill

Hello, Helmeted Hornbill! Helmeted Hornbills use their massive casques The Critically Endangered Helmeted Hornbill of for ariel head-butting contests, to compete for South-east Asia is a very special and unique bird! access to fruiting trees!

Helmeted Hornbills are slow breeders, producing In Dayak folklore, a man who hated his mother- just one chick every season. In typical hornbill in-law, axed her house and laughed at her fate. He fashion, the female locks herself up to protect was cursed by being transformed into a Helmeted herself and the chick, and the male delivers Hornbill, calling like the sound of an axe and supplies to the family round-the-clock. cackling like human laughter!

32 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 ASIA BIRD TRADE

Like other hornbills, Helmeted Hornbills too are omnivorous, but have a preference for Strangler Helmeted Hornbills prefer nest cavities with figs. They’re amongst the most important knob-like projections over them. This makes dispersers of figs in rainforests. it easier for the male to perch atop the nest comfortably to deliver food to the female.

Helmeted Hornbills are poached heavily for their ‘helmets’, which are used to make carved relics. As the hornbill family is entirely dependent on the male hornbill, poaching the male brings doom to The casque of the Helmeted Hornbill is mostly the entire family. solid, unlike the hollow casques of other hornbills. This makes them a poacher’s favourite.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 33 ASIA BIRD TRADE

In addition to poaching for casques, logging, habitat loss and palm oil monoculture are growing threats to the Helmeted Hornbill. Intricately carved hornbill casque trinkets are the latest status symbol among Chinese elite.

Hornbills are ‘forest farmers’. The seeds that they disperse grow into fruit trees that feed Helmeted Hornbills are very selective of the a myriad organisms including humans, and the trees they nest in, preferring only the largest forests that they grow this way hold sequester and tallest trees, that are unfortunately of huge amounts of carbon, holding the key to economic value. This makes them extremely combating climate change. vulnerable to logging.

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EN_Print_ad_brillance_210x297.indd 1 09.01.20 11:30 ASIA BIRD TRADE THE LAST SONG In Java, there are now more songbirds in cages than in forests. Fierce demand for lucrative song competitions is driving multiple species to the brink – but in a region where bird-keeping is a cultural mainstay, complex solutions are required

James Lowen

hirty men squat on concrete outside a colourful urban café on the T Indonesian island of Java. Their gaze is focused on a rainbow palate of cages dangling from a corrugated metal roof. They listen even more intently – for inside the structures, birds are competing to get their songs heard. The onlookers are just as invested in the winner – singing competitions such as this are commonplace in Indonesian culture – with massive cash prizes at stake. Indonesia loves its songbirds, and bird- keeping is as commonplace in much of Indonesia as keeping cats and dogs is in the west. In 2019, Manchester Metropolitan University’s Harry Marshall estimated that one in three Javan households keeps cagebirds, the collective total reaching 66–84 million – one for every two islanders. This love has in recent years manifested in singing competitions known as ‘Kicau Mania’. Tragically, however, this love is now driving many Asian passerines towards extinction, especially as the cash prizes, and thus the stakes, have escalated. The result: on Java today, more songbirds remain under lock and key, Marshall estimates, than fly freely in (what remains) of Java’s forests. Were Java’s cagebirds exclusively captive- bred, this would be unproblematic. And indeed, 4 White-rumped Shama many have never experienced wilderness, most Copsychus malabaricus obviously the non-native lovebirds Agapornis is prized in songbird spp. and Island Canary Serinus canaria that competition circles comprise over half Java’s avian pets. But Photo Casey Klebba/ Marshall and his team also report three native Wikimedia Commons species and two native genera that number over

36 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 Bird market Jakarta Photo Danumurthi Mahendra / Flickr

a million birds in captivity – primarily extracted from the wild. So fulsome a ‘harvest’ cannot be gathered without harm – particularly for species endemic to a country where extensive deforestation persists despite admirable government-driven reductions. Last year the recently formed IUCN Species Survival Commission Asian Songbirds 4 Bird markets, Vietnam Keeping pet birds is a long-established in Trade Specialist Group (ASTSG) added Photo VBN/NIS Indonesian hobby with profound cultural roots. another 16 birds to its priority list, which now “But birds also offer financial gains,” observes numbers 44 taxa heavily impacted by songbird 0 Birds at market in Roger Safford, BirdLife’s Preventing Extinctions trade. Of these, 21 are already listed as globally Southern Bali , Indonesia Programme Manager. “Songbird competitions threatened, of which 19 inhabit Indonesia. Nine Photo Peter Eastland/Alamy are big business, providing substantial Critically Endangered species include Javan Pied employment.” Forest poachers catch birds, Starling Gracupica jalla whose wild population which are sold via successive traders to vendors (under 50 birds) is dwarfed by the island’s at major markets Java-wide, where serried captive contingent (1.1 million). ranks of colourful cages are crammed with birds before they reach their final owners. Most of these species were uplisted by As songbird contests burgeon, so demand BirdLife during the 2016 Red List update. The heightens. Nationwide, Ria Saryanthi, subsequent greater understanding of songbird Conservation Partnership Adviser at Burung trade has deepened concern. Two years later, Indonesia (BirdLife Partner), estimates five Straw-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus million people participate: “Even small- was uplisted to Critically Endangered and Java scale events attract 50–100 contestants Sparrow Lonchura oryzivora , a species well- plus hundreds of spectators. Prize money recognised by bird fanciers, to Endangered can exceed a billion Indonesian rupiah (US in its native range. In 2019, Javan White-eye $70,000),” says Saryanthi. Their birds’ vocal Zosterops flavus, Sumatran Leafbird Chloropsis outpourings are judged on melody, duration media and Greater Green Leafbird Chloropsis SONGBIRD and volume, and the rewards are sufficient for sonnerati were also uplisted. “It is not that COMPETITIONS professionals to invest thousands of dollars in the problem has particularly worsened since ARE BIG BUSINESS, proficient songsters. 2016”, says Anuj Jain, BirdLife Asia’s Bird Trade PROVIDING Since 2016, the practice has extended well Co-ordinator, “but rare species continue to be SUBSTANTIAL beyond Java. “Indonesian songbird competition caught from the wild and continue to decline to EMPLOYMENT organisers have expanded geographically, the point where trends are more visible”. including to the separate nation of Brunei”, says

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 37 ASIA BIRD TRADE

Jain. “This year COVID-19 restrictions have engendered a new brand of online songbird competitions, which anyone can join, regardless of location.” This makes competitions more accessible, and may continue after lockdown. This all makes for a complex, culturally sensitive problem to surmount. BirdLife aims to bring illegal, unregulated and unsustainable trade in birds to an end. The adjectives are pertinent. BirdLife is not satisfied with only combating solely unlawful trade: if it threatens populations, it is unacceptable. There’s an avian welfare dimension too: among sunbirds, for example, up to half the poached individuals die in transit before reaching markets. Finally, and topically, wherever large numbers of animals and people occupy small spaces, there is an inevitable disease-transmission risk within and between groups. We still know far too little about such risks. 0 Bali Myna Leucopsar investment by the breeder relative to paying less rothschildi has been for wild-caught birds” and whether enforcement BirdLife is approaching the conundrum trapped to near-extinction serves as adequate deterrent – which presently from multiple angles. “Projects typically – now trappers are turning it does not. involve understanding trappers’ roles and their attention to similar As Asian Songbirds in Trade Specialist needs, reducing demand, enforcing laws at starling endemics Group vice-chair, Jain considers education markets and capture sites, and rapid response Photo VBN/NIS and community engagement to be key to when infractions are detected,” says Safford. solving the songbird crisis. He co-chairs Deciphering the drivers of trade and songbird the community engagement group that, in keeping will inform Burung Indonesia’s his words, has managed to: “bring together approach to effecting behavioural change. The different organisations and experts working with key transformation would be to shift contests communities dependent on songbird trade to from using wild-caught to captive-bred birds. understand the drivers of demand along the Supported by VBN (BirdLife in the Netherlands), supply chain, share lessons learned, as well as Burung Indonesia is encouraging select SUCCESS pilot demand-reduction approaches.” songbird-competition organisers to limit entries WILL DEPEND A regional approach is increasingly important. to captive-bred birds and is providing technical ON WHETHER Songbirds are traded across national borders, support to the government in developing bird- ENFORCEMENT for example between Brunei, Kalimantan contest regulations. SERVES AS and Malaysian Sarawak. In response, BirdLife Shifting the balance of songbirds’ provenance ADEQUATE is working to strengthen regulations on towards captive-bred stock may help the status DETERRENT – international trade. CITES (the Convention on of birds like starlings and bulbuls, which breed WHICH PRESENTLY International Trade in Endangered Species) is readily in captivity, but perhaps not more finicky IT DOES NOT an important part of the story. Although just leafbirds. Success will depend on the cost of 1.4% of traded songbirds are currently CITES- listed, Parties recently resolved to commission a study of international songbird trade to inform management and conservation priorities. Of course, there’s little benefit eradicating unsustainable trade of wild-caught birds unless their habitat is preserved. Burung Indonesia, BirdLife and Manchester Metropolitan University are conducting extensive field surveys in montane Java, identifying key locations to protect for threatened species, then working with partners to conserve them. “Within 5–10 years, Burung Indonesia would like the population of wild songbirds in native Indonesian habitat to increase and the poaching Orange-headed Thrush of wild songbirds to no longer constitute a Geokichla citrina significant threat”, says Saryanthi. A dawn chorus Photo VBN/NIS of endemic birds, singing freely in protected forests, makes for a pleasing vision indeed.

38 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 For internal use only7449 Signature £1youdonate Please tickandsignifyouareaUKtaxpayertoboost yourdonation by25pofGiftAidforevery I amhappyforBirdLifetocontactmeoccasionallyaboutappealsby Telephone Address Title I would like to supportthe Asiabird trade appeal DOUBLE whatever you donate today. we have received match fundingof upto £50,000. This means we can where we are currently working. Plus,thanksto our generous donors, an endto illegal andunsustainable wild bird trade practices in Asia, sold intrade markets around the world. With your help we can bring health istightly interlinked with thefate of wild animalstrapped and The COVID-19 pandemicisaterrible buttimely reminder thathuman AWAY. FUTURE OUR TRADE DON’T

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Photo by Goncharova Nataliya / Shutterstock FORESTS OF HOPE

WHAT’S YOUR NEXT MOVE? With half the world in lockdown, conservationists are finding new ways to fight deforestation and support communities that live in tropical forest landscapes. And to help communicate the importance of the decisions we make, our new animation turns to an unlikely inspiration - videogames

Cressida Stevens

40 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 4 Strategy games usually reward a player for exploiting the environment. Our animation turns this on it head and shows the effects of real-life decisions

o the images on this page world’s most species-rich tropical which investors find new companies look familiar? If so, there’s a forests. Grants from public, private and promising investments. Having D good chance that you – or and charitable sectors have for a long successfully applied this to forest someone you know – have time enabled remarkable success in conservation, in just one year we played a turn-based strategy game. securing legal protection for these are seeing shifting regional business In this genre of videogame, the rules forests on a project-by-project basis. practices, potential changes to laws, and objectives differ from title to title, Yet, a new approach is required if forest and forest-positive products being WHAT’S but generally revolve around the player conservation is to get the long-lasting shipped around the world. attempting to defeat their opponent – financial security it desperately needs. This year, the face-to-face either human or computer-controlled Therefore, the Accelerator exists to workshops and crucial ‘pitch’ events – by making decisions on their turn. put renewed energy into tackling one planned for June in London, England YOUR Capture that farm, or attack the of conservation’s biggest challenges – could not go ahead. Our pioneering opposing army? Invest in resources, or sustainable funding and finance. initiative was not fazed, however. build a tank? Each decision you make Now into its second year, the An innovative digital conference, has far-reaching consequences that, Accelerator works to create more the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), to the novice player, will only reveal sustainable, diversified funding models was the first in a range of initiatives themselves several turns down the line, and grow ideas that secure the future designed to minimise disruption from at which point it will be too late. That’s conservation of the world’s tropical COVID-19. Held on 3-5 June, the NEXT what makes the expert players expert forests. Modelled on the methods GLF kickstarted a global conversation – the ability to evaluate the gravity of used by start-up companies in the on how to transform food systems each decision, and the effect it will tech sector, an ‘accelerator’ provides to protect human well-being and have further down the line. support and mentorship, and acts planetary health in the wake of the The same principle is true, it turns as a hub and matchmaker through coronavirus pandemic. out, of landscape conservation, and at Almost 5,000 people from 185 MOVE? a ground-breaking digital conference different countries joined online this summer, BirdLife’s Forest to listen to top experts in science, Landscape Sustainability Accelerator “The Accelerator business, journalism and policy- used an animation, of which you are making, as well as community looking at stills from, to highlight the acts as a leaders and young entrepreneurs. parallels to key stakeholders working in matchmaker Representing all stages of the food the sector. supply chain, they discussed how to For the uninitiatied, our Accelerator between projects feed a booming global population is an unique initiative to help BirdLife whilst preserving the essential Partners continue their vital work and investors “ functioning of ecosystems in the long- with communities in some of the term.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 41 FORESTS OF HOPE

On the first day of the conference, ranches and sugar cane”, said Alice communities’ income. This means that the Accelerator hosted a session on Reisfeld, Project Manager at SAVE Brasil poor planning and decision-making the forest-positive future of food and (BirdLife Partner). South America’s can have serious knock-on effects. livelihoods. The session kicked off Atlantic Forest hosts biodiversity Without collaboration between the with the aforementioned ‘strategy’ thought to exceed even that of the different players in a landscape, animation, which walked viewers Amazon, but this fragmentation is isolated projects tend to fail. For through a forest landscape to explain a huge threat to that status. Alice example, it is difficult to reap the the purpose of the Accelerator. It referred to the plight of the Alagoas rewards of a shade-grown cocoa, shows landscapes are not just made of Antwren Myrmotherula snowi. “This without addressing the oil palm trees, wildlife and local communities tiny bird has a population of less than company who is causing deforestation - they are formed by the decisions 30 individuals remaining in the world. down the road, and disturbing local people make. Just as one decision can Two of its cousins became extinct in weather conditions. It is difficult to have untold consequences four or this region very recently – I don’t want encourage better cattle ranching five turns down the line in a strategy to see that happen again.” practices if the local bank continues game, the animation shows how a It’s not only wildlife that can’t giving loans for intense production single, typical decision can affect many afford to lose the Atlantic Forest; it is methods. To solve these deep-rooted aspects of the landscape, including its responsible for the water supply of issues, the Accelerator promotes wildlife, water supply, soil condition, millions of people and its resources a ‘landscape approach’ that calls farmers’ incomes and more. form the basis of many local for conscious, inclusive planning Foundations laid, landscape leaders and strong governance to join up in Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia and initiatives. Well-managed landscapes Cambodia took to the screen to meet the needs of the present without showcase their landscape initiatives. “Managed compromising the future. The online platform gave us a unique But strategy game players know opportunity to step into a tropical landscapes are that it is not enough to rely on a single forest and hear from the very people linked to every technique – you have to adapt your fighting deforestation on their gameplan to your circumstances. doorstep, and witness the deep-rooted choice we make in Evelyn Brítez is the Coordinator issues that forest loss creates. of the Yerba Mate Initiative for “I see this forest landscape like the supermarket“ Guyra Paraguay (BirdLife Partner), a islands, surrounded by a sea of cattle programme seeking to protect forests

42 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 The Accelerator’s cohort and team are actively seeking new collaborations with those who can help us to accelerate sustainability strategies. There are a number of ways to get involved with the landscapes and across the portfolio; from landscape problem-solving, to advisory, collaboration, and to kick-starting finance. Watch the animation & find out more at: www.birdlife.org/sustaining-forests

The BirdLife Forest Landscape Sustainability Accelerator contributes to Trillion Trees, and is supported from by harnessing the nation’s appetite for and carbon schemes – and the 2020 by Hempel Foundation and Google yerba mate tea. She emphasised why Accelerator is giving this work the Foundation. forest conservation is not just a case of boost it needs to become a long- marking off protected areas. term solution. Bou Vorsak, BirdLife Brítez works in San Rafael, also in Cambodia Programme Manager, the Atlantic Forest, a reserve which explained how farmers in the Ibis Outside of the conference, the was created in 1992 but to this day Rice scheme have welcomed the Accelerator cohort have adapted remains a park only on paper, lacking opportunity to receive a premium to the new digital reality. They are the proper legal protection and price for their rice, rewarding their staying connected through webinars government support. This renders the efforts to grow organically and without and online discussions, so even if site subject to logging, illegal poaching encroaching on the forest. circumstances mean they can’t be and clearance for crops. “In order to Our landscape leaders are driven by in the forest, they can continue to build better strategies for people, their the potential for long-term, systemic advance their protection. Yet our livelihoods and their food systems, change for nature and people, not landscape leaders are not the only we need to meet their needs while just a quick win or greenwash for ones who can steer towards a more protecting forests, biodiversity and companies. “Investing in Mbeliling [an secure future for forests. As Katie Sims, water resources”, says Brítez. Guyra Accelerator landscape in Indonesia] BirdLife’s Forest Programme Officer Paraguay supports communities in is not just giving you an economic remarks: “The future of managed growing shade-grown, organic and fair return on investment. It is having landscapes are linked to every trade yerba mate and exporting it to social, ecological and governance supermarket purchase, every politician higher-value markets. impacts which are needed by the we elect, every business we invest in.” From tea to cocoa, rice to candlenut, people helping to protect it”, noted Adi We can all have an impact through the BirdLife Partners are developing the Widyanto, Head of Conservation and decisions we make. And with that, it’s sales of forest-positive commodities Development at Burung Indonesia. your turn. What’s your next move?

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 43 FEATURE LIFEBUOYS FOR BIRDS Many seabirds meet their end accidentally tangled in fishing nets. In a brand new approach to this problem, our Partners are studying the way seabirds detect predators, trialling unique floating gadgets that could keep them away from netting

magine you’re a Long-tailed Duck, particularly among small-scale fishers owing and you see a fish in the water right to its low cost. To the public, ingesting plastic I underneath you. You dive towards Yann Rouxel may be one of the most well-known threats to it – but as you catch it in your beak, seabirds; yet an estimated 400,000 seabirds are you hit a wall of near-invisible netting, meeting killed each year through accidental ‘bycatch’ the same fate as the fish you’re trying to eat. in fishing nets. The problem spans across the This is a danger that seabirds face every avian world: nearly 150 different seabird species day. Many modern ‘gillnets’ – vertical sheets thought to be susceptible to this danger. of netting held up by floating buoys, which To tackle this issue, researchers and trap passing fish by the gills – are made of 0 XThe Looming-eyes conservationists including the RSPB (BirdLife monofilament nylon that is practically invisible Buoy, AKA the ‘Bobby’ in the UK) have for many years been exploring underwater. This material is used worldwide, Photo Andres Kalamees ways to make gillnets more visible to birds

44 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 MARINE

2 Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis Photo Dave Inman/Flickr

4 The species is the only duck that uses its wings to dive, allowing it to explore deeper depths Photo Wolfgang Wander

1 Bobbys waiting to be placed out at sea Photo Andres Kalamees

underwater, through modifications to the nets, or adding devices such as high-contrast panels or LED lights. However, given the challenges of the underwater environment (where even marine birds have reduced vision), as well as the need to avoid warding off the fish themselves, underwater strategies have so far had limited success.

It was high time for a new approach. Researchers went back to the drawing board, asking simple questions: What do diving seabirds see? How do they forage? What do they avoid? with the Estonian Ornithological Society BIRD With the help of animal behavioural ecologists (BirdLife Partner) to test the effect of this new FACTFILE and informed by tracking data, we realised device on birds out at sea. Trials are currently the answer could lie in preventing birds from ongoing in Küdema Bay protected area, off the coming near the gillnets at all. Estonian island of Saaremaa. The bay attracts When researching solutions, nature – as large concentrations of wintering seabirds, it often does – offered some hints. The including the Long-tailed Duck Clangula conspicuous ‘eyespots’, which are found on hyemalis and Steller’s Eider Polysticta stelleri, numerous creatures such as butterflies, can both of which are Vulnerable to extinction, evoke an avoidance response in many bird largely due to bycatch. Researchers are species. Similarly, looming movements have monitoring the behaviour of any seabird LONG-TAILED been found to trigger a collision-risk signal in that enters within 50 metres of the ‘Bobbys’ DUCK Clangula hyemalis birds’ brains. On land, the combination of these compared to an area containing regular fishing two visual stimuli (i.e. eyes appearing to move buoys. No gillnets are present in either location, RED LIST STATUS: towards a bird) has resulted in significant escape making the experiments completely safe for Vulnerable responses in several bird species. the birds. If these trials prove successful, the RANGE: Circumpolar To adapt this technique to the marine ‘Bobbys’ could be rolled out commercially, distribution including environment, we developed a floating buoy that saving seabird lives across the world. northern America, Europe and Asia displays large, obvious ‘looming eyes’ that can be seen from a long way off. As the buoy bobs THREATS: Bycatch in Baltic Sea wintering in the water, the tall pole sways conspicuously, This project is made possible thanks to the grounds, oil pollution, and the eyes rotate in the wind. We called support of the National Geographic Society, as hunting it the Looming-eyes buoy (LEB), or more well as the Baltic Sea Conservation Foundation FAST FACT: Can dive to affectionately, ‘The Bobby’. for the development and production of the LEB a depth of 60 metres Since February 2020, we have been working prototypes.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 45 IRREPLACEABLE

MOUNTAIN RESCUE

Not only is Mount Kenya Forest one of the most iconic landscapes in Africa, it is also a crucial source of clean water for the country. Find out how Nature Kenya, our Partner in the East African nation, is empowering local citizens to form powerful partnerships that can protect and restore the forest for decades to come

cuckoo calls in the distance, its soft, socio-econonomic and ecosystem services, low voice travelling through the including water purification, climate regulation A treetops. The hitherto silent forest Lewis Kihumba and soil retention. Sadly, over the years the suddenly bursts into a symphony forest’s protective cover has come under threat of birdsong, occasionally punctuated by the from various human activities including logging, trumpeting of elephants on the distant plains. charcoal burning, and illegal settlements. This Then, just as suddenly, the forest falls eerily silent in turn has led to soil erosion, causing the once again. This is Mount Kenya Forest, part of sedimentation of rivers and streams and affecting an ecosystem which includes Kenya’s highest agricultural productivity downstream. Local and Africa’s second highest mountain, rising to people have reported increased human-wildlife 5,199 metres. Mount Kenya’s sprawling slopes conflict, with elephants routinely invading farms. are cloaked in an array of ecosystems, ranging from forests to bamboo groves to moorland, and Since 1998, Nature Kenya (BirdLife Partner) ultimately giving way to rocks, ice and snow on has been carrying out various interventions to its three peaks. restore Mount Kenya Forest. One key strategy is Spanning five counties in central Kenya, the collaborating with communities living adjacent forest covers an area of 213,082 hectares and to the forest through Community Forest is one of Kenya’s most important biodiversity 0 Since 2017, communities Associations (CFAs). Currently, Nature Kenya hotspots. And like so much of our natural world, have planted 650,000 trees is partnering with 27 CFAs drawn from various it benefits local people, too. It is one of Kenya’s to restore the forest counties surrounding the forest including Meru, five main water catchments and provides vital All photos by Nature Kenya Tharaka-Nithi, Embu, Kirinyaga and Nyeri,

46 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 working together to restore degraded forest 4 Local communities are Trust, The Darwin Initiative, and the newly blocks. In 2019, local CFA members planted trained in how to explore launched Trillion Trees ReForest Fund, is 421,800 indigenous trees in 18 forest blocks and new funding partnerships partnering with the CFAs and other stakeholders propagated over 700,000 tree seedlings in their to restore some of the most degraded areas of nurseries. Mount Kenya forest. Since 2017, about 650,000 7 The stunning landscape trees, covering 650 hectares, have been planted To further streamline forest restoration is threatened by logging through this partnership. operations, Nature Kenya is giving local people and charcoal burning the skills they need to independently protect “Working with CFAs is one of the best way of their forest. CFA members are trained in achieving our goal of ten percent forest cover in leadership skills, governance and institutional Kenya”, says Joel Siele, the Local Empowerment management, resource mobilization, advocacy, Manager at Nature Kenya. biodiversity monitoring, and more. Resource A business case for restoration of Mount mobilization training in particular has allowed the Kenya forest has also been developed CFAs to engage other stakeholders to finance with support from the Critical Ecosystem forest conservation efforts. Partnership Fund*. Under this initiative, local Because of this, Mount Kenya’s 27 CFAs are communities (water ‘sellers’) protect and restore now among the recipients of funding worth the watershed, with financial support from US $ 32,000 from the Upper Tana Natural downstream water users (‘the buyers’). For Resources Management Project, which supports BIRD example, Kenya Breweries Limited adopted the communities to manage natural resources FACTFILE business case in 2017 and has since facilitated sustainably. This funding is a milestone in the planting and nurturing of 100,000 seedlings. participatory forest management approach It may be too early to fully assess the in Mount Kenya. Community groups are now impact of the forest restoration work in Mount directly mobilizing resources from public and Kenya, but things are certainly looking up. private entities to finance conservation activities. “Illegal activities have started to decrease and The funds will go towards supporting various communities are more aware of the importance sustainable livelihood projects such as setting of conserving this important water catchment”, up tree nurseries, which will create employment concludes Siele. and reduce poverty levels among forest-adjacent SHARPE’S communities. LONGCLAW Macronyx sharpie

Besides funding, the Upper Tana Natural RED LIST STATUS: Resources Management Project also seeks Endangered to improve the incomes and living standards RANGE: Two sites in of target groups through initiatives that work Kenya alongside sustainable resource use. To this end, THREATS: Loss of high- *The Partnering with Business for Mount Kenya 22 CFAs received a grant worth US $ 20,000 altitude grassland habitat Water Ecosystem Services Restoration project was from the project in 2019. Furthermore, the due to expansion of made possible through funding from the Critical agriculture CFAs are engaging other organisations and Ecosystem Partnership Fund, a joint initiative of corporations including the Mount Kenya Trust, FAST FACT: Extremely l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation sedentary, with an Safaricom PLC, and Green Energy Limited. average home range of International, the European Union, the Global In addition to these significant achievements, just half a hectare. Environment Facility, the Government of Japan and Nature Kenya, with funding from World Land the World Bank.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 47 NATURE & PEOPLE BIRDS ARE COLOUR BLIND In response to the incident in New York involving birder Christian Cooper, and ongoing Black Lives Matter demonstrations in USA and worldwide – as well as in encouragement of the first #BlackBirdersWeek – BirdLife staff based in the UK, Senegal & Kenya voice their reflections and advice as birders.

By Shaun Hurrell

e’re changing the face Partner in the USA). Audubon issued of birding”, says Corina a statement in response, highlighting Newsome, joint leader the suspicion, confrontation and W of #BlackBirdersWeek, dangers Black Americans face in an effort launched by outdoor spaces. Black scientists and outdoor explorers As Cooper himself said in an who want the world to know that interview with the New York Times, the Black birding community is which echoes BirdLife’s own thriving and growing. “We want our sentiment: “We should be out here. community to know that they’re The birds belong to all of us… The welcome here and to not be deterred birds don’t care what colour you are.” by people who have attempted to The experiences relayed by BirdLife make these spaces hostile to us.” staff over the next few pages are, Someone who experienced hostility thankfully, largely positive, and show first-hand, while birding in Central that birding can (and should) be a Park, is Christian Cooper (board joyous and inclusive experience for member of New York City’s Audubon everyone: an important inspiration Society, a Chapter of BirdLife’s during these crucial times.

48 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 “IT CALLS FOR A STRONG PERSONALITY” NGONÉ DIOP, COASTAL SEABIRDS PROJECT OFFICER, BIRDLIFE AFRICA

studied biology at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, at that time I had no idea that I will I end up doing ornithological research and being passionate about birds. On my first fieldwork day, as I was undertaking my Masters degree, I could not identify any bird species, but was impressed by the number and diversity the birds. This encouraged me to join a national NGO working on bird and biodiversity conservation (Nature Communauté Développement, NCD) where I became the Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas focal point. In my experience, women need to fight to demonstrate that they deserve trust, as we are always viewed as the weak gender and as not having the skills to do conservation work in the field. It calls for a strong personality, and it is important that women see it as an opportunity to improve themselves and earn respect.

“THE BIRDS BELONG TO ALL OF US… THE BIRDS DON’T CARE WHAT COLOUR YOU ARE.” CHRISTIAN COOPER

JUL-SEPAPR-JUN 20202019 • BIRDLIFE 49 NATURE & PEOPLE

“BIRDS CAN TAKE YOU FAR” KARIUKI NDANG’ANG’A, HEAD OF CONSERVATION, BIRDLIFE AFRICA

didn’t realise it, but I had been birding since I was eight years I old – those days when I would be sent out to take care of cattle in the wooded fields on the slopes of Aberdare Ranges, Kenya. It was not birding in the sense you are thinking about. It was the usual interaction with nature my friends and I did, sometimes tasting, touching, breaking and climbing and all those things that boys do. I knew every conspicuous plant and animal, including birds by my local name, and even had stories about them. But it was birds, especially Turacos, pigeons, doves and weavers that really attracted me, and for different reasons. When I joined university and found a few members of the local wildlife club, it immediately clicked and fell into place. I immediately found “THERE’S NO PLACE FOR English names for the birds I knew already RACISM IN BIRDING” and started the ‘sport’ of knowing more. It JULIUS ARINAITWE, DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIP & has never stopped. My bird list is long. I have CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT, BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL held probably thousands of birds in my hands, ringing them. I immediately looked for fellow ornithologists after university. Birds gave me hen BirdLife launched the I have found that their members harbour strong a career and made me travel the world. Until #1planet1right campaign earlier pride in ‘their birds’ and birding patches, and today one of my brothers calls me mundu W this year, it really meant what it show them off to whoever shows interest. Due wa ichocho, directly translated as ‘man of says on the tin. We have one planet to the common interest that we share in birds, thrushes’, and appreciates how far the ichocho whose health is critical for the survival of us all, the primary focus of engagement on these (thrushes) can take one. humanity as one. And this is what it should be. outings is to have the best possible experience, As if there are not enough challenges in seeing the birds at their best. Call me naïve, but fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, runaway discrimination has never come into the picture. emissions of planet-warming gases, large-scale I know several bird guides from all walks of habitat loss, and wide inequalities in terms of life. Birding is more than an income-generating opportunities for self-actualisation, this year sees activity; it’s a deep passion. Even when the target the rotten practice of racism again rear its head! species may require long hours of searching As a black man and a birder, I believe birders have and trekking, the desire to show the birds to the no time and space for racism and other forms of birders fires enthusiasm to endure. The bird guides discrimination. strive to get each and every birder on the trip to I was introduced to birds as a young boy have the best experience, by embracing – rather in Uganda, from the business end of a catapult. than penalising – diversity! It wasn’t until I went to university in my early BirdLife with its network of 116 organisations twenties that I exchanged this for a pair of in 113 countries, mobilises broader constituencies binoculars. No one at the university or during that reach millions of people. We believe in the my stint at Nature Uganda (BirdLife Partner) power of many – and work to mobilise as many discriminated against me due to race. people as possible to engage in the all-important After my studies, I joined BirdLife – and you task of securing a healthy natural planet for us do not get any more of a diverse workplace than all. We love birds as components of biodiversity within BirdLife when it comes to people. I have and as ambassadors for all nature. We strive to been fortunate to visit at least one Partner in increase the numbers of people who enjoy and each of the six BirdLife regions, and go on birding protect them. Any discrimination defeats this outings with their members and staff. Consistently, underlying principle and has no room in society.

50 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 NATURE & PEOPLE

“MY POSITIVE EXPERIENCES - JUST LUCK?” KIRAGU MWANGI, SENIOR CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL

ast evening while sat in the back garden here in the UK, I watched a pair of Blackbird males fight over territory, a pair L of Dunnocks following their young fledglings from branch to branch, and a pair of Wood Pigeon chicks, now almost fully grown. Birding has been a simple and effortless hobby that gives pleasure to the soul; it emboldens the spirit when appreciating the beauty of nature. I came into birding by chance over 20 years ago through working for Nature Kenya, our BirdLife Partner in the country. For my work, I needed to study and appreciate them to a level of “NOT A WHITE indicator species for an important site or habitat for conservation. To my MAN’S HOBBY” surprise it never became a chore, but a pleasurable exercise either being HAZELL SHOKELLU THOMPSON, part of monitoring teams or causal birdwatching with friends or alone. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT; With birding, I have been lucky to travel widely to many parts of the FORMER BIRDLIFE GLOBAL DIRECTOR, world, in all continents except Antarctica. On my travels, there has never PARTNERSHIP, CAPACITY & COMMUNITIES; been an incident where I have been mistreated by anyone. I suppose it AND BIRDLIFE’S INTERIM CEO (2014-15) has just been good luck or being in the company of good friends while birding in as far-flung places as Australia, Canada, The Cook Islands, Brazil, Russia, or in the USA. Even in remote, spectacular places far away from my was born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone and have had community in Kenya, it was always easy to connect with strangers whilst a lifelong passion for wildlife and birds. Here, early on, I was birding. I used to being viewed as the crazy “birdman”. I had to become The tragic killing of George Floyd in the USA, and the triggered civil adept at explaining the value of birds and pointing out that rights protests for Black people, have given me pause to reflect deeply on birding was not a “white man’s hobby”. This turned out to be good practice how some people endure hardship and prejudice instead of the right to for teaching Biology to University of Sierra Leone students (another passion) be treated with dignity; even, by extension, the right to enjoy the simple and for a 20-year career in conservation with BirdLife International. Luckily, pleasure of birding without suspicion. I am humbled by Christian Cooper’s in Sierra Leone, we now have a small – but growing – band of young response to his experience in Central Park. His modest request to a white birders. woman to leash her dog as instructed in park notices could have turned As a black man, I have gone birding all over the world as part of my job into a sad affair, especially for Christian as an African-American, who was and I also go birding regularly for leisure in the UK – all without incident. just out birding. I often say that birders always come across as a very amiable bunch, Until these events in the USA, I have never thought of myself a ’black regardless of race. This was why the awful racial events of the last week birder’ – perhaps I have just been lucky! We now have an opportunity in the USA (one involving a black birder, another a racial murder) came as to encourage other people of colour to come out and enjoy this simple such a dreadful and painful hammer-blow to my hopes of an increasingly pleasure, and the great outdoors. Even just one or two more taking up this globalised and colour-blind world. simple hobby in their gardens. Working at BirdLife was an amazing opportunity to work with and learn from birders and conservationists from every race, colour and orientation in the world. Just like the birds we worked with, the BirdLife Partners know no boundaries in their efforts to save birds globally; making the linkages, partnerships, and collaborations across continents to do so. Underpinning all of this was the joy of birding, and the will to build the capacity of young conservationists wherever we could. In retrospect, I start to wonder why I was usually the only black man on UK reserves when I went on birding trips? Also, what if I had not usually been in groups when I went birding around the world or had been much younger (most racial attacks target young men or women); would my experience have been different? These thoughts reveal the danger we must all avoid, i.e. the mistrust and fear these events have stirred. We must not let these horrific events hold us back; we (black, white, people of all colour) must press for change personally and collectively. Racism, police brutality against blacks and abuse must stop, everywhere it occurs – including the UK. We must live and expand the BirdLife ideal of inclusivity, diversity, and enjoyment of nature by all.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 51 FROM THREE FLEDGLINGS TO A THOUSAND In 2012, researchers made the alarming discovery that the Grey-breasted Parakeet was now confined to a single small region in northeast Brazil. Their campaign has seen the birds make a remarkable comeback from three fledglings in 2010 to a cumulative total of 1,165 fledglings

Kate Tointon

52 CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

2 The nests are designed he Grey-breasted Parakeet Pyrrhura monitor the artificial nests on their properties to mimic the depth and griseipectus (Endangered) was once and provide a round-the-clock watch against positioning of the species’ T widespread throughout the Atlantic poachers. The team also formed Private natural nests – to great Forest of northeast Brazil. However, Protected Areas and a Grey-Breasted Parakeet success ten years ago this flamboyantly feathered bird Wildlife Refuge to enhance protection not just All photos Fábio Nunes faced a bleak future. Deforestation, illegal for this species, but also for other endangered hunting and poaching had caused severe birds in the region. population declines and local extinctions in The team’s strategy has resulted in an at least 15 areas where it had historically been extraordinary turnaround for the Grey- found. breasted Parakeet. Just three fledglings had A 2012 project funded by the Conservation been recorded in 2010 when the first 30 nest Leadership Programme, and led by Fábio Nunes, boxes were installed. Since then, the number carried out surveys over 4,000 kilometres of of successful fledglings has been steadily forest roads and trails and about 100 interviews increasing each year, and the team has installed with local residents in Ceará State. With the 70 more nest boxes to keep up with the growing exception of one small remnant population, demand. In a landmark achievement for the however, they found no evidence of the species. project, last year the cumulative total number of These results confirmed that the last fledglings reached 1,165—an average increase remaining population was restricted to two of about 130 fledglings each year. Because BIRD adjacent sites in the Baturité Mountains, with of this, in 2017 BirdLife reclassified the Grey- FACTFILE 80% of the birds found at just one of these breasted Parakeets from Critically Endangered sites. “These parakeets were facing a number of to Endangered on the Red List. threats, including a highly restricted range, very Scientific insights from the project, as well little remaining habitat, few available nesting as new management plans and legislation, will sites, and pressure from poachers seeking to be critical in the long-term conservation of this snatch chicks for the pet trade”, says Nunes. exuberant parrot. However, according to Nunes, This alarming discovery sparked a one key challenge is protecting its forest habitat. government-led Conservation Action Plan for “Our dream is to bring the species back to the the species, and an international partnership areas where it should never have disappeared GREY- between three NGOs (AQUASIS in Brazil, and diversify the gene pool of wild populations. BREASTED PARAKEET Loro Parque Fondación in Spain and ZGAP His plan, developed with his team, is to create Pyrrhura griseipectus in Germany) went on to support Fábio’s next more protected habitats, recover degraded goal: to create the safe home these birds so forests, and ensure the parakeets can eventually RED LIST STATUS: desperately needed. survive without the help of nest boxes—and Endangered Crucial to the parakeets’ recovery were ultimately use what he has learned from RANGE: Ceará state, artificial nest boxes where they could breed in this incredible success story to help other Northeastern Brazil peace while being protected from poachers. In Endangered species in Brazil. THREATS: Habitat 2010, the team designed the boxes to mimic destruction, illegal logging, trapping for the the parakeets’ natural nests in depth, opening pet trade size and position. The parakeets have been The Conservation Leadership Programme FAST FACT: Though successfully breeding in them ever since. is a partnership between Fauna & Flora usually nesting in hollow Another vital transformation happened International, BirdLife and WCS. Together, we trees, one population among local communities that live alongside direct project funding and training to early inhabits rocky mountain outcrops the parakeets. The team formed partnerships career leaders from developing countries who with local residents, who agreed to help them are tackling priority conservation challenges.

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 53

THE RED LIST

A NEW HOPE FOR VULTURES A landmark policy resolution could prove a major step forward towards our mission of ensuring vultures are safe from poisoning across their entire range

Rachel Gartner

Photo Bjorn Olesen 54 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020

PREVENTING EXTINCTIONS

A NEW HOPE FOR VULTURES

ultures carry an air of invincibility respectively), supported by the RSPB (BirdLife in 2 CMS COP13, the event about them. To see these majestic the UK) and all working under the Saving Asia’s where the resolution was V raptors soar above us, you would Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) consortium, adopted, took place in be forgiven for thinking nothing have managed to slow and even halt those Gandhinagar, India this past could harm them – but recent history has declines, bringing about increases, in certain February shattered that illusion. The well-documented areas like Nepal where decisive sustained Photo CMS Asian vulture crisis of the 1990s - which saw actions have been taken, most notably getting the Indian subcontinent’s populations plummet veterinary diclofenac effectively banned and 4 Griffon Vulture Gyps from abundance to the edge of extinction in the local vets and communities behind these fulvus space of a decade, should have been a wake-up measures through ‘Vulture Safe Zone’ initiatives Photo LeAndr/Shutterstock call to the world on the catastrophic impact and activities. However, the drug – and other poisoning can have on these ecologically- NSAIDs* which are definitely or potentially 0 Indian Vulture Gyps important birds – but as we entered 2020, we harmful to vultures – are still being widely used indicus in Rajasthan still lacked the robust intergovernmental policy elsewhere in the world, putting many vultures Photo ErickN/Shutterstock required to safeguard these scavengers. All this in peril and compromising the good work being began to change at a critical migratory species performed in other vulture-range states. summit this past February. For several years, BirdLife International has Before we get into that, a recap for the been pushing for a strong intergovernmental QUICK uninitiated; while many vulture poisoning policy on the use of veterinary NSAIDs. And FACT incidents are intentional, such as that which in February this year, a resolution adopted by claimed the lives of large numbers of Hooded the thirteenth Conference of Parties to the Vultures in Guinea-Bissau earlier this year, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory poisoning incidents that saw Asian vulture Species (CMS COP13) covered their use and numbers drop by 99% were purely accidental. regulation as never before, offering new hope The cause was diclofenac – a common non- for African-Eurasian vultures. steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used in The resolution at the CMS COP13 outlined livestock – which is lethal to vultures that feed three key actions that perfectly reflect what on the bodies of cattle that die soon after being BirdLife and SAVE have been calling for: tests *WHAT ARE dosed. The result is that just one contaminated on all existing veterinary NSAIDs to determine NSAIDS? Non-steroidal anti- carcass can wipe out an entire flock of vultures. which are harmful to vultures and which are inflammatory drugs, safe, withdrawing licensing for veterinary a family of drugs used BirdLife and its partners in South Asia including use from those (including diclofenac) that in both people and animals to treat pain the Bombay National History Society and Bird are vulturetoxic or implementing adequate and inflammation.

Conservation Nepal (BirdLife in India and Nepal risk assessment; safety testing of any new Shutterstock Photo

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 55 PREVENTING EXTINCTIONS

veterinary NSAIDs before they are licensed; and 4 Bearded Vulture the identification and the promotion of safe Gypaetus barbatus Can alternative drugs. It also supports the actions be found in mountainous proposed in the CMS Multi-species Action Plan regions of Europe (and this to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures. past July, in Derbyshire, All three steps are necessary for the long-term UK!)Photo Michael Ninger/ conservation of African-Eurasian vultures, but Shutterstock according to Roger Safford, Senior Programme Manager in BirdLife’s Preventing Extinctions 7 Egyptian Vulture Programme, the safety testing of both new and Neophron percnopterus existing NSAIDs is particularly key: “We need to Photo via Shutterstock look at all the veterinary anti-inflammatories livestock is managed in Europe. But there is and withdraw from veterinary use the ones that 3 At CMS COP13, Indian scientific evidence suggesting that Eurasian are toxic to vultures. If we replace diclofenac PM Narenda Modi pledged Griffons, for example, could decline by 7% with another drug that is just as toxic to vultures, that his country would per year if exposed to this drug. This is an then we just perpetuate the problem.” take a leading role on unnecessary risk considering it takes only a tiny Once we know which drugs are harmful, the conservation of proportion of dosed carcasses accidently being governments of vulture range states can species on the Central left out to kill large numbers of vultures. ban their use in livestock and suggest safe Asian Flyway - and also There’s no excuse for continuing to allow alternatives, keeping vultures out of harm’s way. mentioned vultures during these drugs to be used, with several affordable the inauguration. India has and safe alternative anti-inflammatory drugs But this resolution is just the first step in a long taken over presidency of available which don’t compromise animal process and there is still much work to do. We CMS COP for the next three welfare, food standards or public health. And now need to ensure that governments follow years healthy vulture populations offer numerous up on the commitment, against the powerful Photo Vicky Peavoy benefits to people: by their unsurpassed pharmaceutical lobby. scavenging efficiency, disposing of tens of And this could be tricky. Despite knowing the thousands of tonnes of dead animals every risks of diclofenac, several European countries year, they clean up the environment and help to still approved it for use in cattle in 2014. reduce disease transmission at carcasses. Worryingly, it is now becoming widely used Following on from the resolution, we by vets in Spain and Italy, countries with large are urging governments and veterinary vulture populations. Such use being permitted We would like to thank Species pharmaceutical companies to join our efforts Champions, Sean Dennis and in Europe, increases the chances of similar Barry Sullivan, for their ongoing and take the responsible course of action. licensing in Africa. funding and support of our work We’re developing best practice for how to do Iván Ramírez, BirdLife’s Head of Conservation with vultures. this, providing information to governments for Europe & Central Asia, explains that part of BirdLife’s efforts are made who are also interested in banning toxic possible in part by its the problem is that veterinary associations are membership of the Restore veterinary NSAIDs, and testing various NSAIDs to pressing governments not to ban products. Species partnership, which works determine whether or not they’re safe. We’ll be “Their rationale is that diclofenac wouldn’t have to prevent extinctions caused by doing all we can, both in political arenas and on illegal and unsustainable trade such a severe impact on vulture populations and hunting, and poisoning. the ground, to make sure old world vultures are in Europe as it did in Asia because of the way protected – throughout their range.

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With your support, BirdLife will keep protecting and campaigning for birds and nature across the world; saving species, protecting the most precious sites, and preventing habitat destruction. By leaving a legacy, you can help ensure that generations to come

58can continue to enjoy our planet’s incredible nature. JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE LEGACIES

Why leave a legacy?

ncluding a gift in your Will to BirdLife International is one of I the most effective ways to help us preserve the future for wildlife. BirdLife has worked for almost a century to protect the world’s most vital species and habitats. As we build on the global network of protected areas, species and partner organisations that we have created, we are particularly reliant on legacy gift support to keep this vital work going. Ruth Ward explains why she and her late husband John are leaving a legacy gift to BirdLife: “John loved birdwatching, using his ears as much as his eyes. The gift of impersonating bird calls, especially waders, Photo Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock Rudmer Photo

enabled him with help from friends Bryan and Alan to produce the record ‘Big Jake Calls the Waders’. John enjoyed passing on his birdwatching knowledge especially to youngsters. He used to say we have to be the voice for birds to ensure their habitat is conserved. With today’s pressures upon the planet it is important organisations like BirdLife are supported in their work. Birdwatching gave John so much pleasure and he would help in any way to ensure birds are around for future generations.” BirdLife thanks Ruth and John for their kind donation, which will help us preserve the natural world which has brought them so much joy. Learn more We’ve put together a guide that will help you prepare before visiting your solicitor.

Download: www.birdlife.org/legacies E-mail: [email protected] Call: +44 (0)1223 277318 By post: Legacies team at BirdLife International The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ United Kingdom

JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 59 BCI

HOT OFF THE PRESS The latest scientific breakthroughs from BirdLife’s quarterly peer-reviewed journal

HIGHLIGHTS HOW TO SAVE THE GREEN PEAFOWL? LEAVE IT ALONE

iven the worldwide fame of the Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus, G it’s strange to imagine a peafowl species at risk of extinction. Sadly, the Green Peafowl Pavo muticus (Endangered) is something of a forgotten sibling. Formerly common and widespread across Southeast Asia, the familiar combination of hunting, habitat destruction and human disturbance has reduced the species to a few fragmented populations. Now, the question is how best to protect these remaining strongholds. Researchers compared the viability of two populations facing very different threat and protection levels. In HuaiKhaKhaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, western Thailand, they found that the population is growing, and likely to persist for at least 100 years, thanks to dedicated protection and low human disturbance. However, the population in Yok Don National Park, south-central Vietnam – a location with high habitat disturbance and significant hunting pressure – is likely to go extinct before the end of this century. If we Green Peafowl humans want to save this bird, it’s clear which Photo Roger Smith/Flickr path we need to take.

60 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020 BCI

WHAT’S STRESSING OUT EUROPE’S FARMLAND BIRDS?

t’s no surprise that human disturbance I is harmful to wildlife – but exactly how does it happen? A study comparing two declining species, the European Roller Coracias garrulus and the Eurasian Scops-owl Otus scops, on Spanish farmland, found that both species suffered stress due to human activity – but in opposite ways. Nesting European Rollers were found to have the highest levels of stress hormones in areas with intense farming activity. However, in an interesting twist, feeding rates were also higher, suggesting disturbance was the price parents paid for gaining access to the extra prey flushed out by farming practices. The Eurasian Scops-owl, however, displayed the highest stress levels near roads: probably Eurasian Scops-owl European Roller because they are still used at night, when the Photo Frank Vassen/Flickr Photo Bernerd Dupont/Flickr owl is awake and active.

ALSO IN THIS THE BENGAL ISSUE: FLORICAN NEEDS › Evaluation of SPACE TO STRUT disturbance effect on geese caused ITS STUFF by an approaching unmanned aerial ometimes, it’s not that satisfying vehicle to say “I told you so”. In 2013, S › Influence of experts predicted that the Bengal historical and Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis (Critically contemporary habitat Endangered) would be extinct in Southeast changes on the population genetics Asia within a decade. Recent surveys of of the endemic Cambodia’s Tonle Sap floodplain, which holds South African parrot the last population in the region, support Poicephalus robustus this prediction, with a 55% decline in the › Fishery bycatch number of displaying males over five years. is among the most Data indicated that Bengal Floricans tend to important threats be lost from sites when the area of grassland to the European population of Greater falls below 25 square kilometres, and that Scaup Aythya marila male Bengal Floricans abandon their display territories when grassland is destroyed. AND Although the situation is desperate, these MUCH Bengal Florican findings also offer a glimmer of hope, by MORE... Photo Dhritiman Mukherjee showing that the species could disperse and colonise newly-created suitable habitat.

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JUL-SEP 2020 • BIRDLIFE 61 SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT

SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT

How pet owners are key to making the parrot trade sustainable

New research reveals the social factors driving demand for parrots in Singapore. Lead author, Anuj Jain, discusses how international trade and domestic demand interact in what he refers to as the ‘ecosystem’ of parrot trade

What inspired this study? they belong to. Many meet in person Through involvement with Burung with their parrots regularly, as well as Indonesia’s parrot trade work in online through social media groups Wallacea, I have witnessed incidents and forums. Because of Singapore’s of Indonesian parrots being poached position as an important (legal) from our field sites and transported parrot transit hub, there are many to demand centres like Singapore and breeders and suppliers of international Hong Kong through complex transit repute here. Some also supply to the routes. These parrots go through an domestic bird shops. Then there are arduous journey in very poor welfare home breeders and support services conditions, and many die on the way. like professional parrot sitters. This This makes me sad! Based in Singapore, Chattering Lory Lorius garrulous is an ecosystem with many actors I have seen the memberships of parrot Photo Alan Tunnicliffe supporting and helping each other. hobbyist groups grow over the years. Our past work has shown that What implications does this have on Singapore still imports wild-caught What were your most significant the conservation of parrots in trade? parrots, so I wanted to connect the findings? Most studies and interventions that dots and see what we can do in We found more than half of our study’s address the demand of wildlife trade Singapore to make the parrot trade participants were in parrot hobbyist focus on individual consumers. more sustainable. groups, and two-thirds agreed that Understanding the importance of their participation in such groups had hobbyist groups will put us in a better What were the first steps you took encouraged futher purchases. It was position to make the trade more towards achieving that goal? heartening to see that over 70% of the sustainable. The positive thing is Working with Nature Society Singapore parrot owners were concerned about that parrot owners are supportive of (BirdLife Partner), Wildlife Reserves poaching. They love their parrots and conservation, but Singapore doesn’t Singapore and local universities, prefer to keep captive-bred, sustainably have the infrastructure to ensure we conducted questionnaires and sourced parrots over wild-caught ones, parrots are sustainably sourced. interviews with parrot owners here. even if that means paying more and Fortunately, the government is We hoped to gain insight into why waiting longer. proactive and keen to implement new people keep parrots in Singapore, their licensing and tracking measures to preferences on species and traits, the You refer to the parrot trade in make that possible, and this can only social contexts, whether they realise Singapore as an ‘ecosystem’ – why is be done effectively if we work closely the impacts of parrot keeping on wild this a helpful concept? with the community i.e. hobbyist populations and whether they were Our study taught us that parrot groups. In the future, we hope to open to owning sustainably sourced keeping in Singapore is a highly social scale up this work across the BirdLife parrots. phenomenon. Parrot owners are Partnership to apply it to other demand influenced by the hobbyist groups centres in Asia.

62 BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2020

BIRDLIFE THE MAGAZINE JUL-SEP 2020 07.07.20 13:1707.07.20 13:17 MORE THE UNSEEN

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