Numbers and distribution of wintering waterbirds in the Western Palearctic and Southwest Asia in 1997, 1998 and 1999 Results from the International Waterbird Census Niels Gilissen, Lieuwe Haanstra, Simon Delany, Gerard Boere and Ward Hagemeijer Global Series 11 Numbers and distribution of wintering waterbirds in the Western Palearctic and Southwest Asia in 1997, 1998 and 1999 Results from the International Waterbird Census Niels Gilissen 1, Lieuwe Haanstra2, Simon Delany 1, Gerard Boere 1 and Ward Hagemeijer 1 1. Wetlands International, Droevendaalsesteeg 3A, PO Box 471 6700 AL Wageningen, The Netherlands 2. Alterra Green World Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3, PO Box 47 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands Wetlands International Global Series No. 11 2002 Copyright 2002 Wetlands International ISBN 90 5882 011 4 This publication should be cited as follows: Gilissen, N., Haanstra, L., Delany, S., Boere, G. and Hagemeijer, W. 2002. Numbers and distribution of wintering waterbirds in the Western Palearctic and Southwest Asia in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Results from the International Waterbird Census. Wetlands International Global Series No. 11, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Published by Wetlands International www.wetlands.org Available from Natural History Book Service 2–3 Wills Road, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5XN, United Kingdom www.nhbs.co.uk Cover illustration by Mark Hulme. All rights reserved. Design by Naturebureau International 36 Kingfisher Court, Hambridge Road, Newbury Berkshire RG14 5SJ, United Kingdom www.naturebureau.co.uk Printed by H. Charlesworth & Co Ltd., Huddersfield, United Kingdom. Printed on 100gsm Chromomat Club. The presentation of material in this report and the geographical designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of Wetlands International concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory, or concerning the delimitation of its boundaries or frontiers. The International Waterbird Census (IWC) for the Western Palearctic and Southwest Asia (WP and SWA) Coordinated by: Supported by: • Wetlands International Directorate for Nature Management, Droevendaalsesteeg 3A, PO Box 471, 6700 AL Ministry of Agriculture, Wageningen, The Netherlands Nature Management and Fisheries, The Netherlands Undertaken by: • National waterbird monitoring schemes organised in over 50 countries with the participation of more than The Joint Nature Conservation 11,000 voluntary and professional coordinators and Committee (JNCC), United Kingdom observers Staffed by: Alterra Green World Research, IWC Coordinator, The Netherlands Western Palearctic and Southwest Asia: 1988–97: Paul Rose 1997 onward: Simon Delany National Environmental Research IWC Database Managers: Institute (NERI), Denmark 1996–2001: Cecilia Reyes 2001 onward: Lieuwe Haanstra and Niels Gilissen The Wetland Trust, United Kingdom IWC Technical Assistant: 1988–96: Val Taylor 1997–2000: Edith Hubert Department of Hunting, 2000 onward: Niels Gilissen Ministry of Agriculture, Finland Waterbird Monitoring Team Leaders: 1991–2001: Janine van Vessem 2001 onward: Gerard Boere and Ward Hagemeijer Bundesamt für Umwelt, Walt und Goose Database Managers: Landschaft, Switzerland 1989–97: Gill Cracknell, Jan Komdeur and Stefan Pihl 1998 onward: Lieuwe Haanstra Seaduck Database Managers: Ministère de la Région Wallonie, 1989 onward: Gill Cracknell, Jan Komdeur and Stefan Pihl Direction Nature et Espaces Vertes, Belgium Wader Database Managers: 1980–96: Cor Smit 1996–97: Bart Ebbinge and Barbara Ganther 1997 onward: Lieuwe Haanstra Environmental Protection Agency, Sweden Guided by: Wetlands International Waterbird Monitoring Programme Steering Committee (Western Palearctic and Duchas, The Heritage Service, Ireland Southwest Asia) Contents Foreword ......................................................................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................... viii Summary ......................................................................................................................................................................... ix Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Why monitor waterbirds?................................................................................................................................................ 1 2. The aims of the IWC ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 3. Organisation of the IWC ................................................................................................................................................. 2 3.1 Global Organisation of the IWC ............................................................................................................................... 2 3.2 New global Programme Action Plan in preparation ................................................................................................. 2 3.3 Organisation in the Western Palearctic and Southwest Asia ................................................................................... 2 4. The development of IWC in the Western Palearctic and Southwest Asia ....................................................................... 2 4.1 General development .............................................................................................................................................. 2 4.2 The IWC databases ................................................................................................................................................ 3 4.3 The role of Wetlands International’s Specialist Groups ............................................................................................ 3 5. Applications of IWC ........................................................................................................................................................ 3 5.1 Conservation of waterbirds and wetlands ............................................................................................................... 3 5.2 The African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement ............................................................................................ 4 5.3 The Ramsar Convention ......................................................................................................................................... 4 5.4 Publications using waterbird monitoring data in support of international conventions ............................................ 5 5.5 Globally threatened waterbirds ............................................................................................................................... 5 5.6 Species of Conservation Concern (SPECs) and Important Bird Areas (IBAs) .......................................................... 5 5.7 Relating waterbird count information to other ecological parameters ..................................................................... 6 Methods ........................................................................................................................................................................... 7 1. The species covered ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 2. The time period covered and geographical areas used in analysis ................................................................................. 7 3. Southwest Asia .............................................................................................................................................................. 7 4. Field methods ................................................................................................................................................................. 8 5. Interpretation of waterbird counts ................................................................................................................................... 8 5.1 Counting errors ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 5.2 Factors which cause under-estimation.................................................................................................................... 9 5.3 Delimitation of site boundaries ................................................................................................................................ 9 6. Methods used in the analyses ...................................................................................................................................... 10 6.1 Species totals ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 6.2 Coverage and distribution maps ........................................................................................................................... 10 Results ........................................................................................................................................................................... 11 1. General