SmartBirds
ASSESSMENT OF THE CONSERVATION PRIORITIES ALONG THE EASTERN AFRICAN-EURASIAN FLYWAY
Every year, millions of migratory birds cross the Globe following the Eastern part of the African-Eurasian Flyway (EAEF). Compared to other major flyways, the EAEF has not yet been the subject of focused research and strategic conservation planning. Therefore, BirdLife International undertook an initiative to strengthen the collaboration at the flyway scale by identifying the priority bird species and sites and by assessing the major threats and conservation efforts along the EAEF. The geographic scope covered 76 range countries from Eurasia and Africa. The research coordinated by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds employed a mixed-method approach, utilising a semi-structured questionnaire and a review of available published resources. The questionnaire was sent to 73 focal points, resulting in 47 responses (see the EAEF online map). Additionally, peer-reviewed papers, reports, and international strategic plans were extensively analysed, with a particular emphasis on online resources.
As a result, 662 bird species were identified to migrate along the EAEF (13% of them listed as threatened or near threatened, according to IUCN criteria). Most of the species were associated with inland wetlands (30%), followed by woodland (25%), grassland, savanna and shrubland (20%), while small ratios were associated with other habitats. Migratory soaring birds represented less than 10% (63 species). In terms of the number of migratory species per country, Kazakhstan (360 species), Russia (343 species), Iraq (312 species) and Sudan (304 species) are the countries with the highest ranks for Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, respectively. Lebanon (44 species), Rwanda (44 species), Turkey (39 species), Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan (33 species each) are the countries with the highest numbers of threatened or near threatened migratory species (IUCN 2023), respectively, for the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Central Asia. In 17 countries, over 50% of the EAEF species are subject to regular monitoring, and in 9 countries – between 20% and 50%, while in most of the EAEF area (20 other countries), less than 20% are subject to monitoring. Moreover, in 30% of the EAEF range states, less than 3% of the national EAEF species list is subject to monitoring. Among all, 10 flagship species were selected to represent well the guilds of migratory landbirds, including birds typical for woodland and grassland (Turtle Dove, Red-backed Shrike, Whinchat and Collared Flycatcher); waterbirds (Common Pochard, Black-tailed Godwit, Sociable Lapwing); and soaring birds (Red-footed Falcon, Egyptian Vulture and Steppe Eagle).
All countries, except Madagascar, believe that at least 4-5 of those species represent them well, and the efforts carried out on these species can contribute to national and flyway-level conservation. The literature review indicated that there is a considerable level of knowledge concerning most of these species in terms of their ranges, population sizes and trends, threats, and six of them have been subject of Action Plans. The results of the questionnaire indicated 412 sites that are important for the conservation of migratory species along the flyway. As a next step, a method/approach for short-listing top priority sites for EAEF should be identified to ensure relevant criteria are taken into consideration. In terms of the threats along the flyway, three top priorities were identified – habitat loss and degradation, intensification of agriculture and climate change, according to the magnitude.
The literature review clearly supported this finding. International frameworks have identified pretty much the same priorities, for 60% of the CMS species agriculture is consider the top threats as well as loss of wetland and degradation in Central Asia or overgrazing in Africa. Raptors MoU is focused more on direct threats, but AEWA or Ramsar have also identified habitat loss and degradation, especially in wetlands, as major threat. In terms of research and monitoring activities along the flyway, four clear priorities were revealed to investigate better and assess the impacts from: (i) Unsustainable land use practices; (ii) Alterations in the habitats of migratory birds; (iii) Climate change; and (iv) Pollution. The literature review identified a large amount of information available about monitoring and research of migratory birds in general, but when focusing the search on the regional level, the results were less numerous for Central Asia and the Middle East and were primarily focused on avian influenza and other viral pathogens. When it comes to flyway level, the available information is limited, with the majority of published reports primarily focusing on species-specific or site-specific studies, particularly in Africa and Europe. Further, the EAEF assessment goes in deeper analysis for every major threat and mitigation needs, as well as towards providing recommendations and strategic vision for the next steps.
The full report can be downloaded from HERE.
