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Black-Tailed Godwit UNEP/AEWA Secretariat UN Campus Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10 53113 Bonn Germany Tel.: +49 (0)228 815 2413 Fax: +49 (0)228 815 2450 [email protected] www.unep-aewa.org Black-tailed Godwit – the journey of a bird under threat Paintings by Yves Fagniart UNEP/AEWA Secretariat Secretariat UNEP/AEWA Black-tailed Godwit – the journeyunder threat of a bird Black-tailed Godwit_Cover.indd 2 16.05.2010 18:37:41 Black-tailed Godwit_Cover.indd 1 16.05.2010 18:37:37 Black-tailed Godwit – the journey of a bird under threat Paintings by Yves Fagniart Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 1 17.05.2010 19:16:10 © UNEP/AEWA Secretariat Coordination: Catherine Lehmann Texts: Catherine Lehmann and Jolanta Kremer Proofreading assistance: Robert Vagg Text consultant: Eddy Wymenga Design and publishing management: Dunia Sforzin Design assistance: Jeannine Mursall, Birgit Drerup Paintings: Yves Fagniart ISBN 978-3-9813731-0-3 UNEP/AEWA Secretariat UN Campus Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10 53113 Bonn Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 228 815 2413 Fax: +49 (0) 228 815 2450 [email protected] www.unep-aewa.org This book has been printed with support from the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of the Federal Republic of Germany. 2 Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 2 17.05.2010 19:16:10 3 Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 3 17.05.2010 19:16:13 4 Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 4 17.05.2010 19:16:25 Foreword Anyone who has ever spent time watching birds will have experienced how difficult it is to catch more than a furtive moment of a bird‘s life before it opens its wings and flies away, escaping from sight into the sky or trees. Birds are always on the move, some even over very long distances, migrating from country to country or even continent to continent in order to find suitable habitats to breed or overwinter. Bird migration has always been a source of inspiration for humans, expressed in poetry, art and culture. This phenomenon also represents the biggest challenge for the work of conservationists. Conservation efforts for migratory birds cannot be reduced to a certain area, but always require that people living along the entire length of the flyway of a given bird species should work together and coordinate their efforts if they wish to conserve these magical creatures for future generations. This has been the mission of AEWA for the last 15 years. The Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) is one example of a bird on the move, for which AEWA has been providing the necessary framework for international cooperation along the African-Eurasian Flyways since its conclusion in 1995. The year 2010 is a very special year for AEWA as it marks 15 years of conservation efforts for migratory birds. This book has been developed to celebrate this important anniversary and I hope that it will help to raise awareness of one of the AEWA species which urgently needs our support in order to survive. I hope that the book will also serve as inspiration, providing the reader with pleasurable moments and taking him or her on a journey into the delightful world of one of the fascinating and enchanting creatures that have always been around to inspire us, although we, as humans, represent the biggest threat that migratory birds face. Enjoy the journey of the Black-tailed Godwit! Bert Lenten Executive Secretary of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) 5 Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 5 17.05.2010 19:16:31 About AEWA The African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) was concluded on 16 June 1995 in The Hague, with the aim of supporting the long-term conservation of 170 species of migratory waterbirds, ranging from waders - such as the Black-tailed Godwit - to waterfowl, flamingos and even the South African penguin; the number of species covered by AEWA has since been extended twice and currently amounts to 255. All these species have one thing in common: they migrate. While crossing different countries and continents to find safe habitats for breeding, wintering or resting, they not only have to contend with natural hazards, but also man-made obstacles. Migration is an awe-inspiring natural phenomenon, often hampered by political barriers. This makes close cooperation between countries along migratory flyways indispensable. AEWA covers 118 countries with the aim of supporting coordinated conservation actions throughout the migration systems to which it applies. Human activities – whether direct or indirect – can not only pose the greatest threat to migratory birds, but are also necessary for their protection and that of their habitats. The Agreement Secretariat supports a wide range of activities with the aim to increase knowledge and apply it to educational measures for all stakeholders and local inhabitants along the flyway. Since the conclusion of AEWA, over half of the 118 Range States have signed and ratified the Agreement, thereby committing themselves to implementing the Agreement’s provisions. The close cooperation achieved in many sectors over the last fifteen years has proven very successful and will be built upon to continue tackling the problems migratory waterbirds face when on the move. 6 Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 6 17.05.2010 19:16:31 7 Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 7 17.05.2010 19:16:35 About the artist The Belgian wildlife painter, Yves Fagniart, born in 1959, has been producing naturalistic art for many years, inspired by his passion for nature since his childhood. Yves Fagniart’s preferred medium of expression is watercolour. His naturalistic approach and his way of reproducing ambiances in nature are what make his work so original. His watercolours are a fusion of light, atmosphere and love for wild animals, equal weight being given to the animals and their natural habitats. For over 10 years, Yves Fagniart has journeyed to different natural habitats in Europe and Africa to paint wild animals and their surroundings. Yves Fagniart’s paintings are internationally recognized and regularly exhibited in different countries. They are a tribute to his commitment and work, reflecting his personality and approach to the protection of nature: “original and dedicated”. www.yvesfagniart.com 8 Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 8 17.05.2010 19:16:35 Yves Fagniart 9 Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 9 17.05.2010 19:16:41 About this book The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat and the Belgian wildlife painter Yves Fagniart worked together to create this book, to commemorate the 15th Anniversary of AEWA, on 16 June 2010. It tells the story of the AEWA species, the Black-tailed Godwit, a migratory wader. Particular attention is paid to the Black-tailed Godwit because the population of the nominate race is declining dramatically. An International Single Species Action Plan, outlining the conservation of the Black-tailed Godwit was adopted under AEWA, in 2008. The long-term goal was to combat the threats the Black-tailed Godwit is confronted with in the different countries where it is found and to restore the species to a favourable conservation status. This book depicts a diverse selection of habitats and threats in a choice of the 62 countries hosting Black-tailed Godwits along the birds’ migration route. The paintings presented are the result of Yves Fagniart’s observations on his journey along parts of the Black-tailed Godwit’s flyway; he focused on the Icelandic population and the East Atlantic population of the nominate race, rather than the Central European one. The artist followed the birds to their habitats during their migration and, through his drawings and paintings, documented the unique beauty of this species in its different settings. The paintings, which originated in several countries such as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Morocco and Senegal, represent the birds at some of their breeding, staging and wintering sites. In this book, the artist captures the beauty of the birds’ wetland habitats in the countries he visited. These habitats include secluded marshes, lush grasslands, coastal lagoons and flooded rice fields. He also portrays the threats the birds face during the various stages of migration. 10 Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 10 17.05.2010 19:16:42 This book will accompany you on the Black-tailed Godwit’s journey! Learn more about this enchanting, graceful bird, about its annual cycle and about the threats it faces and not least enjoy the original and fascinating watercolours and drawings! 11 Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 11 17.05.2010 19:16:44 How can you recognize a Black-tailed Godwit? ?he Black-tailed variety is a tall and elegant godwit about 40 - 44 cm high. T The bird has a long bill on a relatively small head, a long neck and long legs, fully adapted to roam wet grasslands and other wetland habitats. The colour of its fore-body is dull pink-chestnut in summer, especially the male, and paler grey-brown in winter. A variable number of brownish and grey feathers on the upper parts give the bird an untidy and half-moulted look. In flight the Black-tailed Godwit shows a striking white wing-bar and rump. The outward appearance of both sexes is similar, but, during breeding, they can be distinguished by the male’s brighter, more extensive orange breast, neck and head plumage. The Black-tailed Godwit of the Icelandic subspecies is smaller than that of the nominate subspecies and has a darker red colour and a shorter bill. 12 Black-tailed Godwit_first_pages.indd 12 17.05.2010 19:17:01 ?What does the Black-tailed Godwit feed on? The Black-tailed Godwit feeds primarily on a variety of small insects and their larvae, annelids, molluscs, ragworms, crustaceans, spiders, fish eggs, frogspawn and tadpoles.
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