International action plan for

 

 

 

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3.3. 

Monitor hunting activity (and poaching) at sites where it occurs 

Simple techniques, such as shot-counting, have been useful in Italy. This information should be 

used to take appropriate action to control such hunting (see 2.1.1. and 2.1.2.) 

Priority:  

medium 

Time-scale: ongoing 

 

 

4. PUBLIC 

AWARENESS 

 

4.1. 

To increase awareness of the species' critically threatened status among politicians 

and decision-makers 

Further efforts are needed to ensure that concern about the Slender-billed Curlew's plight does 

not remain limited to ornithologists, but is fully shared by relevant decision-makers. The 

essential message to convey is that the Slender-billed Curlew is the most threatened bird species 

in the western Palearctic and is facing a real threat of extinction in the next 10–20 years. The lack 

of detailed knowledge, particularly concerning the breeding grounds, greatly increases the 

problem of conserving the species, and greater financial resources are needed if real advances are 

to be made. The contrast with the amount spent on certain threatened bird species in countries 

such as the U.S.A. is striking (e.g. $17 million spent on the California Condor to date). BirdLife 

International and other NGOs should provide advice and encouragement to governments and 

others, whether nationally or regionally. 

Priority: high 

Time-scale: ongoing 

 

4.2. 

To increase awareness of the Slender-billed Curlew among the public, particularly 

in range-states 

As the most threatened western Palearctic bird species, the Slender-billed Curlew is of great 

potential interest to the public, and deserves effective publicity. A well-made film would 

probably be the best way to achieve wide awareness (good video footage was recently obtained 

at Merja Zerga), and the publication of articles in each range-state would also be very useful. 

Priority: medium 

Time-scale: ongoing 

 

4.3. 

To increase awareness among hunters 

There is an urgent need to raise greatly the awareness of the species and the part played by 

hunting in its decline, together with the problem of look-alike species. In general, national 

hunters' organisations should play a key role in this (and should fund the necessary actions), 

aided by groups such as FACE and CIC. 

Priority: high 

Time-scale: short 

 

 

 

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REFERENCES 

 

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Wader Study Group, No. 7, published by the Menzbir Ornithological Society, pp. 30–32 

(translated by G. H. Harper). 

van den Berg, A. B. (1988) Moroccan Slender-billed Curlew survey, winter 1987–88. 

Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Study Rep. 29). 

Bergier, P. (1987) Les rapaces diurnes du Maroc: statut, repartition et ecologie. Aix en 

Provence: Centre d'etudes sur les ecosystemes de Provence (Annales du CEEP 3). 

Blanco, J. A. and González, J. L., eds. (1992) Libro Rojo de los vertebrados de España. Madrid: 

Instituto Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza. 

Bodsworth, F. (1954) The last of the curlews. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company. 

Chown, D. and Linsley, M. (1994) Wetlands in northern Algeria and coastal Tunisia. RSPB 

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Chupin, I., Nowak, E. and Yurlov, A. K. (1994) Search project of the breeding area of the 

Slender-billed Curlew in SW Siberia. In European Commission 1994 (Annex 35). 

Collar, N. J., Crosby, M. J. and Stattersfield, A. J. (1994) Birds to watch 2: the world list of 

threatened birds. Cambridge, U.K.: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series 

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European Commission (1994) Preparation d'un plan de sauvetage pour Numenius tenuirostris, 

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Gavrin, V. F., Dolgushin, I. D., Korelov, M. N. and Kuzmina, M. A. (1962) Ptitsy Kazakhstana, 

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Glutz von Blotzheim, U. N., Bauer, K. M. and Bezzel, E. (1977) Handbuch der Vogel 

Mitteleuropas, 7. Wiesbaden: Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft. 

Gretton, A. (1991) The ecology and conservation of the Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius 

tenuirostris). Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Monogr. 6). 

Gretton, A. (1994) An estimate of the current population of the Slender-billed Curlew. In 

European Commission: Preparation d'un plan de sauvetage pour Numenius tenuirostris, 

Rapport final, Tome 2, Annexes (Annex 5). 

Grimmett, R.F.A and Jones, T (1989) Importnat Bird Areas in Europe.  Cambridge, U.K.: ICBP 

Technical Publication 9.  

Handrinos, G. (1992) Birds.  in  M. Karandeinos and A. Legakis (eds.) The Red Data Book of 

Greek Vertebrates.  Hell. Zool. Soc. and Hell. Orn. Soc.  Athens (in Greek) 

van der Have, T. M., van de Sant, S., Verkuil, Y. and van der Winden, J., eds. (1993) Waterbirds 

in the Sivash, Ukraine, spring 1992. Zeist: Foundation Working Group International 

Wader and Waterfowl Research (WIWO Rep. 36). 

Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique (IRSNB) (1994) Preparation d'un plan de 

sauvetage pour Numenius tenuirostris: rapport final, 2. Brussels. 

Kovács, G. (1994) Management proposals for protecting the Slender-billed Curlew at Hortabágy 

National Park (Hungary). Unpublished. 

Magnin, G. (1989) Falconry and hunting in Turkey during 1987. Cambridge, U.K.: International 

Council for Bird Preservation (Study Rep. 34). 

Maltby, E., ed. (1994) An environmental and ecological study of the marshlands of 

Mesopotamia. Exeter, U.K.: AMAR Appeal Trust. 

Stresemann, E. and Grote, H. (1943) Ist Numenius tenuirostris im Aussterben begriffen? Orn. 

Monatsber. 51: 122–127. 

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