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North Arctic America Asia Europe Atlantic Wadden Sea photography: photography: Birds without RED KNOT Doñana South deKam/Buiten-Beeld, Janvan America borders Banc d’Arguin South Bijagós EURASIAN SPOONBILL EURASIAN America Together for Africa Marc Guyt/Agami, Guyt/Agami, Marc migratory birds ^ The East Atlantic Flyway is the network of sites used by millions of birds migrating LESSER FLAMINGO LESSER between their breeding grounds in the Arctic and Marathon Migrants their non-breeding sites in Western Europe and Africa. Unen/Buiten-Beeld, van Dirk-Jan Since time immemorial, migratory More than 12 million water birds pass through the birds have braved mountains, seas, Wadden Sea annually, making deserts and storms on their journeys it the most important site in the East Atlantic Flyway. between Europe and Africa. Reliant INBIRDMONITORING PARTICIPANT only on wing power, millions of birds East Atlantic Flyway navigate breeding grounds in Europe Key sites for migratory shorebirds: to wintering grounds in Africa, up to > 1 million birds > 500,000 birds 10,000 kilometres, twice a year! > 100,000 birds Barend van Gemerden van Barend World Heritage Site Migratory shorebirds During their migration shorebirds are especially vulnerable as they need to stop for food and rest between their long flights. Missing links in the chain of stopover sites can affect the survival of the whole population. Roughly one third of the populations of European and African shorebirds are declining. Among them long- range migrants such as Red Knot, and intra-African migrants such as Lesser Flamingo. Key sites in Africa Some 2,5 million shorebirds spend northern winter at the Banc d´Arguin in Mauritania, and more pass Eurasian Spoonbill through on their journeys further south. In the Bijagós With more than 2,500 photo: Szabolcs Nagy Szabolcs photo: Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau some 1,5 million birds pairs, nearly half of winter each year. the East Atlantic population nest in and around the Wadden Other sites of extreme importance for shorebirds Sea. The population along the Atlantic coast of Africa are: Aftout es Sâheli, made a spectacular Diawling (Mauritania), Djoudj, Sine Saloum (Senegal), recovery following Tanji River (The Gambia), Keta Lagoon (Ghana), Walvis conservation action. Bay (Namibia) and West Coast National Park (South They migrate to People across the Atlantic coast Africa’s Africa). southern and western Europe and West of Africa rely on natural resources Africa, where they to sustain their livelihoods and Atlantic coast join the non-migratory Key Partners supporting economic development. Fish and Threats sub-species endemic to the Banc d´Arguin migratory shorebirds shellfish, wood, salt are amongst photo: Together for migratory birds The biggest threats that coastal wetlands face are (Mauritania). the products collected. Sustain- overexploitation of fish and mangroves, conversion MOROCCO BirdLife Partner GREPOM leads able use is key for maintaining Gemerden van Barend of estuaries into agricultural land, poorly planned the monitoring of waterbirds in Important Bird infrastructure development and indiscriminate Areas in Morocco. the quality of coastal areas for hunting. Other threats include oil and gas both people and birds. MAURITANIA Nature Mauritanie contributes exploitation, rising sea levels and increased frequency in monitoring and addressing key threats for and ferocity of storms as a result of climate change. migratory birds in Diawling National Park, Aftout es Saheli and Lac Maal. Many important sites lack formal legal status as a International protected area and even if they do the management is SENEGAL Nature Communités et Developpe- collaboration ment (NCD) works for the conservation of mi- often insufficient. gratory birds in the Casamance. NCD initiated The African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird a Masters Course in ornithology at the Univer- Agreement (AEWA) is the intergovernmental sity of St Louis, a first for West Africa! treaty dedicated to the conservation of BirdLife conservation actions migratory waterbirds and their habitats across THE GAMBIA WABSA is experienced in mon- Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, BirdLife International is leading the Coastal itoring and restoration of mangrove areas. Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago. Migratory Birds project. It sets out to increase the WABSA volunteers have planted 25,000 man- Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau capacity for the conservation of migratory birds groves seedlings in Kartong and Niumi Nation- and Guinée are signatories to AEWA. al Park. along the Atlantic Coast of Africa. The Abidjan Convention, or the Convention for Red Knot GUINÉE Guinée Ecologie plays an important Cooperation in the Protection, Management Red Knots breed BirdLife-led action for migratory birds is taking place role in raising awareness on illegal trade of and Development of the Marine and Coastal in the Russian high in Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinée, Guinea- threatened birds and promoting the conserva- Environment of the Atlantic Coast of the West, arctic in June and Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Cabo Verde. Morocco, tion of migratory birds. Central and Southern Africa Region, provides July and then travel Nigeria and South Africa are also involved. BirdLife an overarching legal framework for all marine- to the Atlantic coast GUINEA-BISSAU ODZH is monitoring the related issues. The Abidjan Convention covers of Africa. Large flocks BirdLife International - The Global plays a coordinating role in linking national projects Mansoa Wetland and Jeta Islands. It supports the marine area from Mauritania to South can be found in Banc Partnership for nature and people to flyway initiatives and regional policies. local communities in Cussana and Cussentche Africa. d´Arguin (Mauritania) and Bijagós (Guinea- BirdLife International is the world’s largest nature villages to improve their livelihoods. Lesser Flamingo The Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative (WSFI) aims Bissau) but also as conservation Partnership. Together we are 120 BirdLife SIERRA LEONE BirdLife Partner CSSL works The Lesser Flamingo to conserve the migratory bird populations far south as Walvis Partners worldwide – one per country – and growing. with local groups to conserve Abardeen Creeck is a true migrant but that breed, pass through or winter in the Bay in South Africa. and Yawri Bay. Over 10,000 mangrove trees never leaves Africa. Wadden Sea. The Initiative has been launched In its lifetime an We are driven by our belief that local people, working for have been planted by CSSL. It breeds in huge by the Wadden Sea World Heritage countries individual Red Knot nature in their own places but connected nationally and colonies in salt water Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands will fly 800,000 internationally through our global Partnership, are the CABO VERDE Biosfera runs effective cam- lakes in East Africa, following the request of UNESCO to improve kilometers, equalling key to sustaining all life on this planet. This unique local- paigns to stop the killing of sea birds for con- South Africa and, the conservation of migratory shorebirds along a flight to the Moon the East Atlantic Flyway. and halfway back! RED KNOT sumption. The organisation leads the Species to-global approach delivers high impact and long-term in smaller numbers, Action Plan for the Cape Verde Shearwater. along the coast conservation for the benefit of nature and people. of Mauritania and The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Jan van de Kam/Buiten-Beeld Jan van NIGERIA BirdLife Partner NCF raises aware- Senegal. BirdLife and (CAFF) Working Group’s Arctic Migratory ness for bird conservation through nature partners assist in Birds Initiative (AMBI) engages Arctic Council clubs and is involved in coastal resource man- the implementation countries in conserving declining Arctic agement. of the AEWA migratory birds including outside the Arctic. International Single In West Africa, AMBI aims to secure intertidal SOUTH AFRICA BirdLife Partner BLSA man- Species Action Plan habitat of Arctic waders in the Bijagós ages Important Bird Areas, trains local eco- for the Conservation Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau, especially through www.birdlife.org guides and promotes nature conservation of Lesser Flamingo. World Heritage nomination. photo cover: EURASIAN SPOONBILL Barend van Gemerden.

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