International Species Research | Centre for Conservation Science

Wilson's storm petrel Oceanites oceanicus, sitting on nest in partial shadow, Bird Island, South Georgia, South Atlantic

Overview

Around 200 species around the world are listed by IUCN as Critically Endangered, the highest class of extinction risk. A further 400 are listed as Endangered.

RSPB researchers work directly on around 40 of these threatened species, from the northern rockhopper penguin of the southern oceans to Gurney’s pitta in the humid forests of south-east Asia. We support work on many more.

Less threatened, but perhaps better known, are Europe’s migrant birds, whose severe population declines are the subject of much RSPB research. Working together with local researchers and BirdLife Partners, we are helping to improve the status of these species so they are less likely to become extinct.

We do this through a combination of diagnostic research and the scientific application of appropriate conservation measures.

Sub-themes

Causes of decline
The first step in helping a species that is heading towards extinction is to diagnose what the problem is. Sometimes the threats are obvious. For example, Sao Tomé’s three critically endangered species are endemic to a small island whose forests are disappearing rapidly.

Often, however, assessing what the problem is can take years of research. Such was the case for the sociable lapwing, whose main threats were eventually found not to be changes in steppe management in central Asia, as initially thought, but rather hunting along its migratory flyways.

We are still far from understanding why so many of Europe’s migrants are declining, but have a team of scientists working to solve this mystery.

Testing solutions and action
The work of our scientists does not end once the problems faced by a threatened species have been diagnosed. The results of the research must then be turned into conservation actions, which may themselves require further research.

Carrying out conservation actions such as eradicating rats from an island, implementing intensive first aid to species like the spoon-billed sandpiper or monitoring the levels of contamination in cattle carcasses across India to guide the conservation of vultures, all require significant input from scientists.

All of our species conservation work is heavily underpinned by intensive research.

Who's involved

Dr John Mallord

Senior Conservation Scientist, Conservation Science

: john.mallord@rspb.org.uk

Dr Paul Donald

Principal Conservation Scientist, RSPB

: paul.donald@rspb.org.uk

Dr Toby Galligan

Senior Conservation Scientist, Conservation Science

: toby.galligan@rspb.org.uk

Dr Steffen Oppel

Senior Conservation Scientist, Conservation Science

: steffen.oppel@rspb.org.uk

Related publications

Breeding ecology of the globally threatened sociable lapwing Vanellus gregarius and the demographic drivers of recent declines

We assessed demographic rates and numbers of the globally threatened sociable lapwing Vanellus gregarius in central Kazakhstan from 2005 to 2012 to identify drivers of recent declines...

Date: 25 December 2012

RSPB Authors: Dr Rob Field, Dr Paul Donald

Authors: Sheldon, R.D., Kamp, J., Koshkin, M.A., Urazaliev, R.S., Iskakov, T.K., Field, R.H., Salemgareev, A.R., Khrokov, V.V., Zhuly, V.A., Sklyarenko, S.L. & Donald, P.

Published in: Journal of Ornithology

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Estimating population size of a nocturnal burrow-nesting seabird using acoustic monitoring and habitat mapping

Population size assessments for nocturnal burrow-nesting seabirds are logistically challenging because these species are active in colonies only during darkness and often nest on remote islands where ...

Date: 01 January 2014

RSPB Authors: Dr Steffen Oppel

Authors: Oppel, S. and colleagues

Published in: Nature Conservation

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The decline of Afro-Palaearctic migrants and an assessment of potential causes

There is compelling evidence that Afro-Palaearctic (A-P) migrant bird populations have declined in Europe in recent decades, often to a greater degree than resident or short-distance migrants. There a....