Milvus Group - Bird and Nature Protection Association » mica http://milvus.ro The Association for bird and nature Protection Milvus Group is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, acting in the fields of education, research and advisory, in order to make Romania a better place for birds, wildlife and people. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:42:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 1st Meeting of the International Working Group within the AEWA concerning the Lesser White-fronted Goose, one of the most endangered bird species in the Western Palearctic http://milvus.ro/1st-meeting-of-the-international-working-group-within-the-aewa-concerning-the-lesser-white-fronted-goose-one-of-the-most-endangered-bird-species-in-the-western-palearctic/1375 http://milvus.ro/1st-meeting-of-the-international-working-group-within-the-aewa-concerning-the-lesser-white-fronted-goose-one-of-the-most-endangered-bird-species-in-the-western-palearctic/1375#comments Sun, 16 Jan 2011 08:51:25 +0000 koma http://milvus.ro/?p=1375 Continue reading →]]> Lesser White-fronted Goose The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) is the largest of its kind developed so far under CMS (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as the Bonn Convention), and it covers 255 species of birds ecologically dependent on wetlands for at least part of their annual cycle. It was concluded in 1995 in the Netherlands, and entered into force on 1 November 1999. Since then the Agreement is an independent international treaty. The agreement covers 118 countries from Europe, parts of Asia and Canada, the Middle East and Africa. Romania has signed it on 01.10.1999, and ratified it through the Law nr. 89/2000.

The Lesser White-fronted Goose – Anser erythropus (LWfG) is one of the most endangered bird species in the Western Palearctic. The global population of LWfG has declined rapidly since the middle of the 20th century. The decrease in numbers has been accompanied by fragmentation of the breeding range and is continuing to affect all populations, giving rise to fears that the species may go extinct. Overhunting and habitat loss are considered to be the main threats. There is an estimate of decrease in numbers in the range of 30% to 50% during the last decade. As the species is highly similar to the White-fronted Goose – Anser albifrons (WfG), and in many cases LWfG specimens occur in large WfG flocks, the difficulty of identification of LWfG is one of the major problem, in the term of detecting the most important staging areas, and illegal hunting as well.

Lesser White-fronted Geese are long-distance Palearctic migrants, currently breeding discontinuously in the sub-arctic zone from northern Fennoscandia to eastern Siberia. The wintering/staging areas and migration routes are only partially known. Four main subpopulations can be recognised:

  • Fennoscandian population (breeding in the Nordic countries and the Kola Peninsula);

  • Western main population (nesting in northern Russia to the west of the Taimyr

Peninsula);

  • Eastern main population (nesting from the Taimyr Peninsula eastwards and wintering

in China).

The fourth subpopulation has been created by the release of captive-bred birds within the former range of the Fennoscandian population in Sweden and by the establishment of a human-modified flyway.

LWFG meeting Within the frame of AEWA a Single Species Action Plan (SSAP) has been prepared concerning the LWfG, which deals with conservation of two of the three wild populations – namely the Fennoscandian population and Western main population – given that the Eastern main population does not occur within the AEWA Agreement. The role of the AEWA LWfG International Working Group is to coordinate and catalyse the implementation of the LWfG SSAP, to stimulate and support Range States in the implementation of the SSAP, and to monitor and report on the implementation and the effectiveness of the SSAP. Between 30.11-01.12.2010 a first meeting of the Working Group has been held in Helsinki, Finland. Romania was represented by the Milvus Group and the Romanian Ornithological Society (SOR), however no designated representatives of national state authority in charge of the implementation of AEWA were present at the meeting.

Several issues have been discussed at this meeting, as following:

  • Review and adopt the Terms of Reference for the Working Group;

  • Agree on Working Group reporting practices and budgetary issues;

  • Discuss Working Group activities as specified in the Terms of Reference;

  • Determine priority measures for the LWfG on the basis of the International SSAP;

  • Discuss and determine most urgent conservation actions based on the outlined priority measures;

  • Discuss funding opportunities for urgent conservation actions in line with the defined priority measures.

For further information feel free to access the links below:

AEWA http://www.unep-aewa.org/about/index.htm

LWfG IWG documents http://www.unep-aewa.org/meetings/en/lwfg_iwg/meeting1/lfwg_iwg_1.htm

AEWA LWfG SSAP http://www.unep-aewa.org/activities/working_groups/lwfg/lwfg_ssap_130109.pdf

LWfG factsheet http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=377

Lesser White-fronted Goose Life Project http://www.wwf.fi/english/finland/lesser_white_fronted/

Portal to the LWfG http://www.piskulka.net/index.htm

Occurence and Identification of Anser erythropus (pdf.)

]]> http://milvus.ro/1st-meeting-of-the-international-working-group-within-the-aewa-concerning-the-lesser-white-fronted-goose-one-of-the-most-endangered-bird-species-in-the-western-palearctic/1375/feed 0 Starting ceremony of the “Conservation of Aquila pomarina in Romania” Life+ project http://milvus.ro/starting-ceremony-of-the-%e2%80%9cconservation-of-the-lesser-spotted-eagle-in-romania%e2%80%9d-life-project/1041 http://milvus.ro/starting-ceremony-of-the-%e2%80%9cconservation-of-the-lesser-spotted-eagle-in-romania%e2%80%9d-life-project/1041#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:11:39 +0000 koma http://milvus.ro/?p=1041 Continue reading →]]> logo-basic-4colour The starting ceremony of the “Conservation of Aquila pomarina in Romania” LIFE+ project was held at 10th of February 2010 in Sibiu at the Continental Forum Hotel.
Participants at the meeting were the three partners of the project: the Regional Environmental Agency from Sibiu, the Milvus Group and the Romanian Ornithological Society.
The project is financed by the LIFE+ program of the European Commission (Nature and Biodiversity section) will last four years (2010 – 2013) and is targeting 12 Natura 2000 sites, considered by us, the most important ones for the species. Most of the activities will be carried out in 3 from the 12 sites, the ones with the most important population of the species: Podişul Hârtibaciului, Dealurile Târnavelor – Valea Nirajului and Piemontul Făgăraşului.
The initiative of this project belongs to the Milvus Group. The ornithologists of the association are dealing with the conservation of the species from many years. They conducted a national census of the population which lasted 3 years and monitored the conservation priorities of the species. This work was the base of the current Life+ project.
According to this census, the Lesser spotted eagle population of Romania is estimated between 1700 and 2200 pairs, representing 22,2% of the European Union’s population and 12,5% of the global population.

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