Birds in the European Union - BirdLife International

8
■ RESULTS: BIRDS IN THE EU AND THE
IMPACT OF THE BIRDS DIRECTIVE
This section presents the results of BirdLife International’s
analyses in relation to the obligations arising from the different
articles of the Birds Directive. The basis for all analyses and
interpretation presented in this chapter is Table 1 of the chapter
Species Tables, which shows analytically the results for each
species.
POPULATIONS OF ALL BIRDS: ARTICLES 2
AND 3 OF THE BIRDS DIRECTIVE
Articles 2 and 3 of the Birds Directive make reference to all
naturally occurring wild birds in the territory where this
Directive applies. The Member States have obligations to
protect, conserve and prevent declines in the populations of all
those species. This section reports what the analyses tell about:
The status of all birds at the Pan-European level.
The status of all birds at the European Union level and
differences between Pan-European and EU level.
The population trends of bird species associated with specific
habitat types.
■ The status of all birds at the Pan-European level
The publication Birds in Europe (BirdLife International 2004a),
hereafter BiE2, presents the status and trend data for all 524
species occurring in Europe and identifies those that are Species
of European Conservation Concern (SPEC). The publication
considers the changes in trends since 1994, when the last
BirdLife International publication on the status of birds in
Europe was published (Tucker and Heath 1994).
According to BiE2, 226 species out of 524 (or 43% of the
European avifauna) have Unfavourable Conservation
sStatus in Europe. Ten years ago, at the time of the first Birds
in Europe assessment, this figure was 195 species out of 511
assessed (i.e. 38%) (Tucker and Heath 1994). Overall this means
that 31 more species are in trouble now than ten years ago (an
increase of 5%).
The species identified as being Species of European
Conservation Concern are listed in three SPEC categories (see
chapter Methodology). According to BiE2 there are 40 (8%)
species in the SPEC 1 category of globally threatened species,
Figure 1. Absolute numbers and percentage of European
bird species in each category in BiE1 and BiE2; Non-SPEC E
corresponds to the SPEC 4 category of Birds in Europe
(Tucker and Heath 1994).
2004 (BiE2)
1994 (BiE1)
40
24
41
45
130
141
SPEC 1
SPEC 2
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
83
SPEC 3
Non-SPEC E
94
233
Non-SPEC
204
100%
45 (9%) species in the SPEC 2 category, which is the category
that includes species with Unfavourable Conservation Status
in Europe and their global population concentrated in Europe,
and 141 (27%) species in the SPEC 3 category, the species group
with Unfavourable Conservation Status in Europe but whose
global population is not concentrated in Europe (see Figure 1).
In most cases, population decline is the main reason for a
species qualifying as a SPEC. Of the 129 SPECs listed in BiE1
on the grounds of decreasing populations between 1970 and
1990, 79 species (61%) continued to decline during the 1990s.
They have now been joined by 35 species formerly considered
to have a Favourable Conservation Status in Europe.
Regarding the period 1990–2000, only 72 species have increased
but 144 species had declining populations.
In total, there are 45 species, which in BiE1 still had
Favourable Conservation Status but deteriorated to
Unfavourable by 2004, while there are 14, which improved from
Unfavourable to Favourable (Tucker and Heath 1994, BirdLife
International 2004a).
Among the species slipping to Unfavourable Conservation
Status in 2004 are many migrant waders and passerines, several
waterbirds, and some of Europe’s most familiar species, such
as House Sparrow Passer domesticus and Common Starling
Sturnus vulgaris. A group particularly affected is farmland
birds. Among the ones that have recovered by 2004 to a
Favourable Status are species such as the Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus and Northern Gannet Morus bassanus. The
full list of species changing status is given in Table 1.
Conclusion:
In 2000 there were 226 (43%) species out of 524,
which have Unfavourable Conservation Status at
Pan-European level, while in 1990 there were 195
out of 511 (38%) bird species which had
Unfavourable Conservation Status across Europe.
This represents an overall increase of 5% in the
number of species that are in trouble in Europe in
the last 10 years.
There are 40 (8%) SPEC 1, 45 (9%) SPEC 2, and
141 (27%) classified SPEC 3 at Pan-European level.
■ The status of all birds at the European Union
level and differences between Pan-European and
EU level
On 1 May 2004, ten countries became new members of the
European Union, which made the bloc grow to 25 Member
States (EU25). This was the biggest single enlargement of the
Union to date, and brought about a considerable enrichment
of the EU’s avifauna. Through the enlargement process a few
more species were added to the EU list, and more importantly,
many species “gained” enormously in their EU population, e.g.
Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus and Steller’s Eider
Polysticta stelleri. This gain in biodiversity and unique natural
habitats brings along an increased responsibility of the
European Union for its natural heritage, including wild birds.
In this review BirdLife International for the first time
assesses the Conservation Status of birds at the EU25 level, i.e.
taking into account only the populations occurring in the 25
Member States (EU25). BirdLife through this analysis found
that, 216 (48%) species out of 448 species have Unfavourable
Conservation Status at the EU25 level. This shows that there