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Bird Ringing for Science and Conservation
Preface
We live in a rapidly changing world where human
activities are causing rapid declines in many species of animals
and plants, linked to widespread environmental change. Within a
few decades it is predicted that global climate change will bring
about even greater changes than we have seen so far. Action to address
these issues must be based on sound science. Information concerning
the status of our wildlife resources is needed for effective
targetting of conservation action, while robust understanding of
ecological processes is essential for predicting the effects of
policy and management actions.
Birds are excellent tools for monitoring and understanding
environmental change, as well as being a charismatic
wildlife resource that brings enjoyment to many millions of people.
Bird Ringing involves the marking of individual birds by highly
trained ornithologists to provide vital data on migration patterns,
demography and ecological processes. We are fortunate that many
volunteers contribute to this activity, allowing us to study populations
at large spatial scales. In Europe these activities are organized
by national ringing centres in each country, co-ordinated by EURING.
This brochure explains how these activities are contributing to
conservation science, and how they can be developed further to address
some of the conservation challenges of the 21st century.
We hope that it will provide a useful overview for conservationists,
policy makers and environmental scientists, and that it will also
be of interest to all those who are concerned about how and why
our bird populations are changing.
Stephen Baillie, Chairman of EURING
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Bird ringing data are useful
in both research and management projects. Individual identification
of birds makes possible studies of dispersal and migration,
behaviour and social structure, life-span and survival rate,
reproductive success and population growth. |
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