The brochure State of Europe’s Common Birds 2007 published
EBCC (2007/11/29)

A new pan-European report The State of Europe’s Common Birds 2007, was published in November 2007.

The brochure, which is the second one in a series planned to be published at a regular basis, reports on population trends of 124 common bird species from 20 European countries within a period 1980 – 2005 as well as the multi-species indices (indicators).

Details and download on EBCC web page >>

Research confirms extent of Europe’s disappearing farmland birds
EBCC / BirdLife International / RSPB / Statistics Netherlands (2007/06/07)

Brussels, 7 June 2007:
New research has shown that Europe’s farmland birds have declined by almost 50% in the past 25 years – a trend caused by EU-wide agricultural intensification being driven by a policy in need of urgent reform.

The results, released today, bring together the most comprehensive biodiversity indicators of their kind in Europe, collated by the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS) - a partnership of leading scientists from the European Bird Census Council, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, BirdLife International, and Statistics Netherlands. [1]


The data, collected from 20 national breeding bird surveys spanning Europe over the last 25 years, confirm the extent to which farmland birds have suffered. Across Europe as a whole from 1980 to 2005, common farmland birds have on average fallen in number by 44% - the most severe decline of the bird categories monitored. [2]

“Birds can be vital barometers of environmental change – their declines are clear evidence of the environmental degradation that has occurred across European farmland,” said Dr Richard Gregory, Chairman of the European Bird Census Council, and Head of Monitoring and Indicators at the RSPB. “The data are staring us in the face: many farmland birds - and the species and habitats with which they coexist - are under serious threat.”

Species like Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis, Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio, Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra, Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus and Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus are familiar names in the long list of declining farmland bird species. [1]

The bird organisations involved in the study are calling for a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a system of European Union subsidies and programmes that has led to considerable agricultural intensification in EU Member States. Although this drive has lessened with successive reforms, the CAP still appears to fail farmland birds and the European environment in general.
“These results show how urgently we need a complete reform of the Common Agriculture Policy, to deliver targeted support for high nature value farming systems and farmed Natura 2000 sites, and to support farmers in delivering environmental improvements throughout the countryside,” said Ariel Brunner, BirdLife’s EU Agriculture Policy Officer, based in Brussels.

Most concerning is the likelihood of rapid farmland bird declines in new EU Member States that hold some of Europe’s largest concentrations of farmland birds. The study indicates that declines in farmland birds in new EU Member States mirror those declines of more established EU Member States. The fear is that EU accession may accelerate and worsen the situation. [3]

“The EU has made encouraging strides forward in environmental legislation, yet for farmland - which accounts for nearly half of the total land surface of Europe - we are working to an outdated policy that still encourages unsustainable intensive farming, while failing to support those extensive farming systems that are vital for biodiversity conservation and rural economies,” said Brunner.

Findings from the study also show declines for forest birds: across Europe as a whole from 1980 to 2005, numbers of common forest birds have fallen on average by 9%.

While populations have been largely stable in the west and east of Europe, forest birds have shown considerable declines in the north, where they are thought to be threatened by highly intensive forestry exploitation, and in the south, where wild fires and unregulated logging may threaten their populations. [4] One of the reasons behind the substantial regional variation observed in forest bird declines, the researchers argue, is that there is no single unifying policy for forests in Europe, as exists for farmland.

Overall, for both forest and farmland birds, the findings from the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS) paint a worrying picture of the state of Europe’s wildlife:

"We have the data and the knowledge to help farmland and forest birds, but we need urgently to look deeper into the reasons behind these declines – and to design effective policies that will ensure further losses do not occur,” said Dr Gregory.

Next to the EBCC website >>

Trends of common birds in Europe, 2007 update
EBCC (2007/04/18)

This report presents an enlarged set of population trends and indices of 124 common bird species in Europe, which have been produced by Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring scheme in early 2007. The trends and indices presented in this report cover time period 1980 - 2005, although data back to 60s are available from some European countries.

Next to the EBCC website >>

6th European Ornithologists' Union Conference
European Ornithologists' Union (2007/03/07)

The Sixth European Ornithologists' Union Conference will take place 2007 in Austria.

Date: 24 - 29 August 2007
City: Vienna
Venue: Geozentrum Althanstraße of the University of Vienna

The Scientific Program of the European Ornithologists' Union Conference to be held in Vienna from 24th-29th August 2007 is being organized by the Scientific Program Committee (SPC). Queries regarding the program can be directed to Kate Lessells, Chair of SPC, at EOU2007@nioo.knaw.nl.

The deadline for submission of proposals for Symposia and Round Table Discussions, Workshops, etc. was 10 January 2007.

Next to the Conference website >>

17th International Conference of the European Bird Census Council
"Monitoring for Conservation and Management"
EBCC (2006/09/25)

The European Bird Census Council (EBCC), the Centro Italiano Studi Ornitologici (CISO), and the Associazione FaunaViva are pleased to invite you to attend the 17th International Conference of the EBCC, which will be held in Chiavenna (Sondrio), Italy, from April 17th to 22nd, 2007.

We foretell the presence of ornithologists and interested participants from many European countries. The conference promises to be a diverse, stimulating, and resourceful meeting. We aim to share knowledge of many current aspects of bird monitoring across Europe and are open to those with interests in the following related issues (see more):

* Wild bird indicators, umbrella and flagship species concepts
* New topics on Atlas studies – the use of occurrence data
* Spatial modelling of count and distribution data
* Development of survey and census techniques
* SPA/IBA site monitoring
* National monitoring initiatives
* Monitoring and Citizen science
* Population and community dynamics in bird monitoring
* Long-distance migrant dynamics
* Forest bird monitoring and conservation
* Farmland bird monitoring and conservation
* Setting conservation priorities and responsibilities
* Turning knowledge into conservation and management policy
* Evaluation and the effectiveness of monitoring schemes
* Monitoring Raptor populations
* Birds facing climate change
* Evaluation of biodiversity conservation investments


Possible workshops, or round table discussions will include:

* Spatial modelling
* Working with volunteers
* Database management
* Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring (PECBM) updates
* Scarce bird monitoring
* Perspectives for a new European Bird Atlas (round table)

Next to the Conference website >>