The Flamingo Specialist Group began in 1978 at Tour du Valat in France, under the leadership of Dr. Alan Johnson. Today, the group is coordinated by Dr. Brooks Childress from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge, UK, as part of the IUCN Species Survival Commission/Wetlands International Waterbird Network.
Description and Aim
The Flamingo Specialist Group (FSG) is a global network of flamingo specialists (both scientists and non-scientists) concerned with the study, monitoring, management and conservation of the world’s six flamingo species populations. Its role is to actively promote flamingo research and conservation worldwide by encouraging information exchange and cooperation amongst these specialists, and with other relevant organisations, particularly the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), Ramsar, WWF and BirdLife International, and providing information and advice in support of the programmes and projects of Wetlands International, IUCN - SSC and BirdLife International.
Group Co-ordination
Chair: Dr. Brooks Childress , Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, GL2 7BT, United Kingdom, Tel/Fax: +44 (0)1453 860437, Brooks.Childress@wwt.org.uk
Assistant Chair: Mr. Nigel Jarrett, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, GL2 7BT, United Kingdom, Tel: +44 (0)1453 891177, Fax: +44 (0) 1453 890827, Nigel.Jarrett@wwt.org.uk
Eastern Hemisphere Chair: Dr. Arnaud Béchet, Station biologique, Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13 200, Tel: +33 (0) 4 90 97 20 13, Fax: +33 (0) 4 90 97 20 19, bechet@tourduvalat.org
Western Hemisphere Chair: Dr. Felicity Arengo, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA, Tel: +1 212 313-7076, Fax: +1 212 769-5292, arengo@amnh.org
Membership
FSG membership is open without charge to flamingo specialists worldwide. Members include experts in both in-situ (wild) and ex-situ (captive) flamingo conservation, as well as in fields ranging from population surveys to breeding biology, diseases, tracking movements and data management. There are currently >170 members from 50 countries around the world, ranging from India to Chile , and from France to South Africa. Members are encouraged to participate in FSG activities, including the development of conservation Action Plans, for species in which they have special expertise, workshops and other international meetings. FSG members are automatically enrolled in the FSG list serve and receive Flamingo, the annual bulletin. They also become members of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.
If you wish to join please contact the Chair at the address below stating your name, address, telephone and fax numbers, E-mail address, and areas of special interest (species and geographic regions). We look forward to hearing from you.
Flamingo, the FSG's annual bulletin
Flamingo, formerly the FSG Newsletter, publishes articles on the world’s six species of flamingo, including reports on the status, movements, breeding and biology of species in the wild or in captivity on a regional or local scale, short papers with original data, progress reports of in-situ or ex-situ conservation projects, ringing reports, news items, etc.