Since its inception, WWT has remained at the forefront of waterbird monitoring, both in the UK and internationally
In this time, it has developed a comprehensive, flyway-based Integrated Waterbird Monitoring Programme in collaboration with partner organisations and individuals from across these flyways. The results help to deliver conservation action at both national and international scales.
Nationally, key outputs using these data on waterbird populations include the Birds of Conservation Concern and the State of the UK's Birds. At an international scale, these data feed into a number of cross-border initiatives, such as the International Waterbird Census and Waterbird Population Estimates, which themselves facilitate the global assessment of conservation status and extinction risk - the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
For full details on our waterbird monitoring programme including surveys, resources, species accounts and reports and newsletters please click here.
Background
During migration and winter, the UK plays host to over 5 million waterbirds (principally divers, grebes, swans, geese, ducks, rails, waders and gulls) and in many cases they undertake arduous migrations to reach their wintering grounds. With this abundance of wintering waterbirds comes great responsibility to safeguard them and their habitats. In this regard, the UK has a particularly high level of responsibility because a number of waterbird populations winter entirely, or almost entirely, within its borders. In order to do this effectively, it is vital to keep track of how many individuals each population holds, where they are found, and the overall trend of the population (in other words whether it is increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable). Furthermore, there is a need to measure other demographic parameters, the most important of which are productivity (annual reproductive success) and survival (or mortality) rates, in order to understand why individual populations may be increasing or decreasing.
Such mechanisms are set out as part of a number of international agreements, treaties, directives and conventions, to which the UK is Party to many. Among the most important for waterbird conservation are the Convention on Migratory Species, and its Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds, and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
How you can help
Monitoring of waterbirds in the UK would not be possible without the dedicated volunteer fieldworkers, who give their time and expertise to collect demographic data. In order to be able to continue this work, new participants are always sought to assist with long-term schemes and/or the additional 'one-off' surveys that arise from time to time.
Taking part in these surveys may not be as difficult as you think and the methods are generally straightforward, with clear guidelines provided.
Without the steadfast commitment of the volunteer fieldworkers, our understanding of waterbirds and their conservation status would be far poorer, and our ability to effectively conserve them would also be much reduced.
The continued support of volunteer fieldworkers, both past and present, is very much appreciated and valued at WWT, and we look forward to continuing and developing this fruitful relationship.
Contact us
If you would like to support waterbird conservation by offering your time and expertise to assist with these monitoring schemes, please email monitoring@wwt.org.uk or further information.