27 July, 2022
The Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) flies thousands of kilometers each year between its African wintering areas and European nesting grounds. Photo by Nico Arcilla.
The International Bird Conservation Partnership is excited to announce that we will host a round table on bird conservation and protected areas at the upcoming International Ornithological Congress (IOC)! Protected areas constitute a longstanding strategy for nature conservation, and targeted research assessing their successes and failures is essential to inform management strategies, such as where best to focus limited funding to protect biodiversity. Bird populations and communities make valuable indicators of protected area conservation effectiveness and also serve as excellent “ambassadors for biodiversity” whose conservation may help protect many other taxa.
Protected areas are a key element in the conservation of Yellow-billed Kites (Milvus aegyptius) and many other raptors, as Samuel Boakye Yiadom will discuss. Photo by Nico Arcilla.
What can bird research teach us about the success or failure of protected area management strategies, and how can we apply these lessons to improve conservation effectiveness on the ground? In this round table, we will review challenges and opportunities for bird conservation in protected areas, particularly in Africa, site of the 28th IOC. IBCP Fellow Sandra Goded will start the round table with a short presentation entitled, “Effects of protected areas on resident bird communities and Afro-Palearctic migrants in Ghana.” Second, Samuel Boakye Yiadom of the University of Ghana will discuss “Protected areas: a key element in the conservation of Yellow-billed Kites.” Third, Anya Dabite Abeh of the University of Buea will discuss “Bird conservation and its related challenges in Cameroon.”
Anya Dabite Abeh will discuss “Bird conservation and its related challenges in Cameroon” at the IBCP round table. Photo courtesy of Anya Dabite Abeh.
What are the greatest information and action needs for bird conservation in protected areas? Sandra Goded will facilitate a moderated discussion around this question to identify priorities for future directions in research and conservation with a focus on opportunities for collaboration. After the initial presentations, we will open the floor to round table participants to contribute and discuss lessons and observations from their own research and experiences with birds in protected areas in Africa and around the world. All are welcome! You must be registered for the IOC to participate. The round table will take place on Wednesday, August 17th, from 11:00-12:30 South Africa standard time.
Hunted species such as the Double-spurred Francolin (Pternistis bicalcaratus) are among the many bird taxa that particularly benefit from protected areas, and may not survive outside them. Photo by Nico Arcilla.