BirdLife International's Champions
A Global Conservation Effort to Save 189 Birds from Extinction
BirdLife International has launched a new effort at bird conservation—they plan to prevent the extinction of 189 critically endangered bird species.
The British Birdwatching fair, held August 17 – 19, 2007, was the launch of a new initiative by BirdLife International. The theme for the meeting was “Preventing Extinctions: Saving the World’s Critically Endangered Birds,’ and the main topics of discussion were 189 species of birds listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Starting now, BirdLife is seeking both funding and participants to help prevent the loss of these species.
For the 189 species, BirdLife has already identified present threats—things like habitat destruction, hunting, and the effects of human activities like long line fishing—and measures that can be taken to protect the birds. Species Guardians, the people who are best positioned to take the necessary action, will be supported by Species Champions, the people, companies, and organizations who step up to the plate and provide needed funding. Four flagship species already have their guardians, while their champion is the Bird Fair itself. The four flagship species are the Bengal Florican, Djibouti Francolin, Restinga Antwren, and Belding’s Yellowthroat.
For more about BirdLife’s plan, information on how you can help, and a complete list of the critically endangered bird species, visit the BirdLife International web site.
Other Conservation Initiatives:
