2012. Review of Significant Trade - Cites

Balearica pavonina
of the species required an official licence. Tursha and Boyi (2011) noted that as it was the
national bird of Nigeria, its hunting and killing were taboo.
Elgood et al. (1994) stated that the Nigerian Government had adopted a conservation
strategy addressing the threats to the species. According to Tréca (1996b), additional issues
that needed addressing included the sustainable use of wetlands by local people and the
ecological implications of large irrigation schemes in northern Nigeria.
Tursha and Boyi (2011) called for efforts to combat trade in B. pavonina through effective
monitoring of the borders between Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon by establishing stringent
laws and prosecuting defaulters.
SENEGAL
Distribution in range State: The species was listed as breeding in the country (BirdLife
International, 2011b). Populations were reported from the Lower Senegal River Basin
(northwestern Senegal), the Casamance River (southwestern Senegal), and Upper Gambia
River (southeastern Senegal) (Eljack, 1996; Williams et al., 2003). Tréca (1996a) also reported
the species from Niokolo-Koba National Park (southeastern Senegal).
Population trends and status: Estimates from 1985 and 1995 suggested population numbers
of 1000 and 1000 – 2000 individuals (Urban, 1988; 1996). In surveys conducted in 2000 and
2001, Williams et al. (2003) estimated the total population to be more than 1900 individuals,
with some populations seemingly increasing, including at the Casamance River one of the
strongholds of the species, whereas other populations were declining or had unknown
population trends. Beilfuss et al. (2007) estimated a population size of 1900 individuals in
2004. The overall population appeared to have stabilised during the last decades (Urban,
1988; 1996; Williams et al., 2003).
Threats: Habitat loss was considered to be the main threat to the species in Senegal,
including through drought, dam construction, expansion of rice cultivation, possibly
chemical spraying against locusts, and the destruction of Acacia nilotica trees (Tréca, 1996a;
Eljack, 1996).
Trade: According to data in the CITES Trade Database, trade originating in Senegal between
2000 and 2010 consisted of four live, wild-sourced birds exported by Senegal in 2005 for
commercial purposes; this trade was not reported by the importer. With the exception of
2010, all annual reports have been received from Senegal.
Occasional capture and domestication has been reported (Eljack, 1996) although
Tréca (1996a) stated that B. pavonina was not hunted or trapped for commercial trade.
Management: B. pavonina was listed as a fully protected species in decree No. 86-866 on
hunting and wildlife protection. The hunting, capturing, and collecting of eggs was
prohibited, however it was noted that permits for hunt on the species could be issued when
population numbers were high within a certain area. The species occurs in at least one
protected area (see distribution section above).
SIERRA LEONE
Distribution in range State: The species was listed as vagrant (BirdLife International,
2011b). Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993) and Lepage (2011) considered the species to
occur in Sierra Leone, although Williams et al. (2003) gave a population estimate of ‘none?’.
No recent records of resident populations were available.
Population trends and status: No population estimates were located. Meine and Archibald
(1996) suspected that the population was extirpated.
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