Implementation in the European Union of species action plans for 23 of Europe’s most threatened birds Report to the European Commission Contract No B4-3040/2003/362169/MAR/BZ Prepared by Szabolcs Nagy and Nicola Crockford BirdLife International on behalf of the European Commission July 2004 Wageningen, the Netherlands Recommended citation Nagy, S & Crockford, N (2004) Implementation in the European Union of species action plans for 23 of Europe’s most threatened birds, BirdLife International, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge, CB3 0NA, United Kingdom Tel: +44 1223 277318 Fax: +44 1223 277200 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.birdlife.net BirdLife International is a UK-registered charity. What is BirdLife International? BirdLife International is a Partnership of non-governmental conservation organisations with a special focus on birds. The Birdlife Partnership works together on shared priorities, policies and programmes of conservation action, exchanging skills, achievements and information, and so growing in ability, authority and influence. Each partner represents a unique geographic area or territory (usually a country). In addition to Partners, BirdLife has Affiliates and a flexible system of Working Groups (including some bird Specialist Groups shared with Wetlands International and/or the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the World Conservation Union (IUCN)), each with specific roles and responsibilities. What is the purpose of BirdLife International? – Mission Statement The BirdLife International Partnership strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources. Where is BirdLife International heading? – Vision Statement Birds are beautiful, inspirational and international. Birds are excellent flagships and vital environmental indicators. By focusing on birds, and the sites and habitats on which they depend, the BirdLife International Partnership is working to improve the quality of life for birds, for other wildlife (biodiversity) and for people. Aims BirdLife’s long-term aims are to: • Prevent the extinction of any bird species. • Maintain, and where possible improve, the conservation status of all bird species. • Conserve, and where appropriate improve and enlarge, sites and habitats important for birds. • Help, through birds, to conserve biodiversity and to improve the quality of people’s lives. • Integrate bird conservation into sustaining people’s livelihoods. BirdLife International works with all like-minded organisations, national and local governments, decision-makers, landowners and managers, in pursuing bird and biodiversity conservation. The global work of the BirdLife Partnership is funded entirely by voluntary donations. To find out more about how you could support this work and for more information on BirdLife in Europe please contact the BirdLife European Regional Office, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, PO Box 127, NL-6700 AC, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 317 478831 Fax: +31 317 478844 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.birdlife.net Table of Contents Introduction.................................................................................................................................3 Methods.......................................................................................................................................3 Review process .......................................................................................................................3 Evaluating the implementation and the effectiveness of the action plans ..............................4 Summary of results .....................................................................................................................6 The conservation status of action plan species has generally improved.................................6 Overall there has been significant progress with plan implementation ..................................7 The EU’s role in implementing the action plans ..................................................................11 Other community funding.....................................................................................................12 Species accounts .......................................................................................................................15 Fea’s Petrel Pterodroma feae................................................................................................16 Zino’s Petrel Pterodroma madeira .......................................................................................18 Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus ...................................................................................20 Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus.........................................................................22 Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus.....................................................................25 Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis...................................................................................28 Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris .........................................................................30 White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala ...........................................................................34 Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus ................................................................................39 Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca ..............................................................................................43 Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti..............................................................................47 Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni ............................................................................................52 Corncrake Crex crex .............................................................................................................55 Great Bustard Otis tarda.......................................................................................................59 Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata...............................................................................63 Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris.......................................................................65 Audouin’s Gull Larus audounii............................................................................................67 Madeira Laurel Pigeon Columba trocaz...............................................................................70 Dark-tailed Laurel Pigeon Columba bollii............................................................................72 White-tailed Laurel Pigeon Columba junoniae ....................................................................75 Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola...........................................................................78 Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea ...........................................................................................81 Azores Bullfinch Pyrrhula murina .......................................................................................83 Annex........................................................................................................................................85 Summary tables of Action Plan Implementation..................................................................85 1 List of Tables Table 1. Recovery targets set in 1996 for the 23 species action plans. ........................................ 8 (S: short term = 1-3 years, M: medium term = 4-5 years, L: long term = 6-10 years).............. 8 Table 2 Achievement of aims set in the action plans and Average Implementation Scores by species in descending order of Average Implementation Score..................................... 9 Table 3 Overall evaluation of the coherence of the network for the 23 action plan species. See text for interpretation........................................................................................................13 Table 4 Number and budget of LIFE projects per species in descending order of Community contribution.........................................................................................................14 Table 5 Implementation of the action plan for Fea’s Petrel........................................................85 Table 6 Implementation of the action plan for Zino’s Petrel .....................................................86 Table 7 Implementation of the action plan for Dalmatian Pelican............................................87 Table 8 Implementation of the action plan for Pygmy Cormorant ...........................................88 Table 9 Implementation of the action plan for Lesser White-fronted Goose..........................89 Table 10 Implementation of the action plan for Red-breasted Goose......................................91 Table 11 Implementation of the action plan for Marbled Teal ..................................................92 Table 12 Implementation of the action plan for White-headed Duck ......................................93 Table 13 Implementation of the action plan for Cinereous Vulture..........................................97 Table 14 Implementation of the action plan for Imperial Eagle ................................................98 Table 15 Implementation of the action plan for Spanish Imperial Eagle ...............................100 Table 16 Implementation of the action plan for Lesser Kestrel...............................................102