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£250,000 lifeline to prevent Africa’s first recorded bird extinction10/03/2011 08:09:17
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED: The liben lark Fewer than 100 birds remain March 2011: With fewer than 100 birds remaining, the liben lark is widely tipped to become mainland Africa's first recorded bird extinction, unless urgent action is taken to prevent its demise from the only area it now inhabits: a single grassy plain in southern Ethiopia. Classified as Critically Endangered, the highest level of threat, this globally threatened bird has now been thrown a lifeline thanks to funds raised by the British Birdwatching Fair held at Rutland Water last August. Birdfair organisers Martin Davies from the RSPB and Tim Appleton from Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust presented a £242,000 cheque to Dr Marco Lambertini, BirdLife International's Chief Executive at an special reception earlier this month at the Ethiopian Embassy in London. These funds will be used by the Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society, the BirdLife Partner in the country, to work with local communities to reduce the impact of over-grazing livestock and prevent conversion of the land to arable farming. Helping the grasslands recover will benefit both the lark and the pastoralists living there. Not the only species to benefit A huge mural portraying all the endemic and threatened birds of Ethiopia, which was painted by more than 40 wildlife artists at the 2010 Fair, was put on display at the Embassy Reception. It will soon be heading out to Ethiopia where it will go on permanent display in Addis Ababa to help raise awareness of these bird species and their plight. Martin Davies said: ‘Ethiopia has a remarkable natural heritage and is hugely rich in species found nowhere else in the world. More than 840 species of bird have been recorded in Ethiopia, 17 of which are unique to this country and 29 others nearly so. ‘Unfortunately, this wonderful wildlife is under increasing threat and we hope that the proceeds from this year's event will help the Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society and BirdLife International to take the urgent steps needed to secure the future of this country's unique birds. 'We also hope that the event will help raise the international profile of this wonderful country, so rich in wildlife.'
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We visited the Liben Plains on 22 February of this year and I was aghast. When our guide first visìted 15 years ago the grass was knee-deep and tussocky, and he had to be careful not to twist an ankle. Now it is flat like a slightly uneven lawn and there is precisely nowhere that birds could safely breed. The grazing pressure is massive. There is a 'reserve' area of perhaps 0.5ha with a bit of thorn round it but there is mimimal difference between inside and outside.
We (6 of us) found one bird after 1 hour looking in a good area. I would be very surprised if there are more than a couple of dozen birds left and I am sure that there will be more males than females (cf Raso larks). They are unlikely to be long-lived. I would suggest that they have perhaps 1-2 breeding seasons left, and as the habitat is so comprehensively trashed, conservation authorities have 12 months max to try to manage a core area (= stop ALL grazing in that area).
Unless there is really serious input very, very soon, this species is finished
Posted by: David Murdoch | 28 Mar 2011 21:52:28